| The world of Japanese Candlesticks does not, by | | | | white bar, a threatening gesture. |
| any means, set itself up on a pedestal and pretend | | | | The Shooting Star appears after a long uptrend in |
| that Candlestick Technical Analysis is the be-all and | | | | prices, above previous prices, looking down upon the |
| end-all of everything that is valuable about the field | | | | world from above with its tiny head and long tail, |
| of technical analysis. Rather, proponents of the | | | | looking every bit like a comet or, if you please, like a |
| Candlestick method of financial price reporting aver | | | | real shooting star. It is a bearish predictive signal, |
| that all of the "Western" technical analysis Indicators | | | | often followed by substantial price falloff. The Bearish |
| are to be used in conjunction with the Candlesticks. | | | | Engulfing Pattern goes the Dark Cloud Cover one |
| The process is decidedly additive, not exclusionary. | | | | better by completely covering previous price action - |
| Candlestick Analysis is built upon two basic principles: | | | | "swallowing" it - and is a very bearish signal. |
| (1) Candlestick patterns have forecasting value; | | | | The "Last Bullish Engulfing" pattern occurs after a long |
| (2) Candlestick patterns reveal the underlying | | | | uptrend. We will likely see a black candle appear, |
| psychology of traders as a group. | | | | which gives a hint that the trend may be coming to a |
| Candlestick analysis lives for reversals of trend. | | | | halt. Then the "Last Bullish Engulfing" white bar |
| Candlestick reversal patterns are Technical Analysis | | | | appears, a strong Up day, engulfing the black bar of |
| Indicators every bit as much as the standard | | | | the day before, as if to say "No you don't, all is well, |
| "Western" technicals such as the Head & | | | | let's keep this party going." But sometimes it's just a |
| Shoulders Top, Moving Averages, Triangles, | | | | final fling of optimism - "walking past the graveyard" - |
| Stochastics, the RSI, the ADX, and Bollinger Bands. | | | | and then the edifice collapses and prices fall. So in |
| It is suggested that the trader learn the 15 or so | | | | actuality the "Last Bullish Engulfing" pattern is bearish. |
| most prevalent and generally reliable Candlestick | | | | The trick is to recognize it when we see it, and to |
| reversal patterns. Some of them consist of only one | | | | take it as one of the valid technical analysis indicators |
| price bar; some of them have two; and some of | | | | predicting a possible change of trend to the |
| them consist of three. The Dark Cloud Cover is a | | | | downside. |
| single black price bar which looms over a previous | | | | |