Technical analysis is essential for investors and traders to make informed decisions. You might have come across charts and patterns as a trader. It is essential to understand different patterns and what they mean. Technical analysis patterns can give insights into the future price movement, market direction, investors’ sentiment, and other factors. Bearish engulfing is an essential technical analysis pattern used by many investors. Let us delve deeper and learn more about this pattern.
Investors involved in technical analysis usually depend on price action sequencing. It involves plotting the price changes of a particular asset over a given period. After price action sequencing, you will get several candlestick patterns. A candlestick pattern is a representation of the price movement of the underlying asset. Bearish engulfing is one of the candlestick patterns used for technical analysis. It is mainly used by stock, commodities, and Forex traders. The pattern will have two candles located one after the other.
This forms when the green or up candle is followed by a larger red or down candle. The red candle completely engulfs the green candle, thus giving it the name bearish engulfing. The pattern occurs at the end of upward price trends. The second or red candle represents a shift towards lower prices. The first bar represents the control of buyers in the market. However, the second bar completely engulfs the first bar and represents a bearish trend. It means the market is experiencing selling pressure, resulting in lower price trends.
The bearish engulfing pattern is essential for traders to identify a trend reversal. Investors must capitalise on the available opportunities when the market changes its direction. Reversal patterns help us understand the change in the market’s direction. This pattern states a shift from a bullish to a bearish market. Since it appears at the end of a long trend, it helps us adjust our portfolios according to the new trend. The low of the bearish candle will be lower than that of the bullish candle, thus representing a reversal trend.
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Bullish Candlestick patterns like bullish and its give investors ample time to adjust their portfolios. Investors prefer to enter short-sell and long-buy positions when a bearish engulfing pattern occurs. Investors can time their market entries and exits in advance. Beginners or new traders often ignore the importance of candlestick patterns. As a result, they often fail to time the market. Experienced investors use candlestick patterns for effective risk management. For instance, investors can set stop loss orders in the market to prevent losses during a trend reversal. This pattern is perfect for identifying a change in market direction and investors’ sentiment.
Now that you have understood what is a bearish engulfing pattern, here’s how to use it for trading:
Start by identifying this pattern. Consider a daily price chart where a single candle represents daily price changes. Also, check for the effectiveness of the pattern.
You can set your entry point below the low of the bearish or red/black candle. You must also place stop-loss orders above the high of the bearish candle. It will prevent your potential losses when the market unexpectedly changes its direction.
Keep an eye on the price changes in the market. When the market starts to move in the desired direction, you can cancel your stop-loss orders and collect profits.
Some traders might wait a day or two after the pattern occurs. They can confirm the effectiveness of the pattern in the market by doing so.
Like every other technical analysis pattern, bearish engulfing also has some flaws. This pattern might be visible on the chart for the same rationale but not applicable practically. It is more effective when there is a significant gap between the bearish candle’s opening and the bullish candle’s closing. The pattern might not be effective practically when there is a minor gap between the opening of the engulfing candle and the closing of the preceding candle.
It is more dependable when the closing of the engulfing or bearish candle is lower than the opening of the preceding candle. Also, the gap must be significant for the pattern to be effective. The bearish engulfing candle pattern might not be effective in a turbulent or volatile market. Since price movements are rapid in a turbulent market, several bearish engulfing patterns are formed. However, they are ineffective as the desired gap between the two candles is not seen.
Both bearish and bullish engulfing patterns suggest a trend reversal. However, there are several dissimilarities between bullish and bearish engulfing patterns, such as:
Bullish Engulfing Pattern | Bearish Engulfing Pattern |
It represents an uptrend in the market. It means the market is shifting from bearish to bullish. | It represents a downward trend in the market. It denotes the shift of a market from bullish to bearish. |
The first candle is red or black, while the second (engulfing) candle is green or white. | The first candle is green or white, while the engulfing candle is red or black. |
The engulfing candle’s opening is below the first candle’s close. | The engulfing candle opens above the preceding candle’s close. |
The engulfing candle closes above the opening of the preceding candle. | The engulfing candle closes below the preceding candle’s opening. |
It represents an increase in the price of the underlying asset. | It represents a decrease in the price of the underlying asset. |
Investors usually enter the market at a price above the high of the engulfing candle. | Investors usually enter the market at a price below the low of the engulfing candle. |
The bearish engulfing pattern has some limitations that investors must be aware of. The pattern should clearly state the shift towards a downward trend. A choppy price action will not produce an effective pattern. Investors must wait a few days or find significant gaps between the highs and lows of candles to confirm the pattern. It might give false signals, compelling investors to take market positions.
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These limitations are clearly visible in turbulent markets. Since the price movements are rapid in such markets, several patterns are observed. However, only a few of those patterns are effective practically in the market. It is better to use other technical analysis tools with it for confirmation. Also, it only denotes the price movements of the asset, thus ignoring the fundamental factors.
This pattern is popular for investors who prefer technical analysis. The pattern represents a shift in the market from bullish to bearish. Investors can be ready for a downward trend in the market after witnessing a bearish engulfing pattern. However, there are some limitations of this pattern. Investors must first confirm the pattern before using it for trading decisions. Start using bearish and bullish engulfing patterns for trading now!