Hanging Man Candlestick Pattern Trading Strategy and Backtest Definition & Meaning

Have you ever noticed a candlestick on a chart that looks like a little man hanging from the gallows? But that’s exactly what a hanging man candlestick resembles in the financial markets. The Hanging Man patterns that have above-average volume, long shadows, and are followed by a selling day have the best chance of resulting in the price moving lower.

It’s possible that accuracy lies in how each trader uses it with the other available information. Thomas Bulkowski’s Encyclopedia of Candlestick Charts suggests that the longer the shadow, the more meaningful the pattern. Using historical market data, he studied some 20,000 Hanging Man shapes.

Graphic representation of Hanging man candlestick

This is more common where there’s a market closure between the two bars. Upon seeing such a pattern, consider initiating a short trade near the close of the down day following the hanging man. Some investors are convinced that the security price has peaked and have begun liquidating their positions. Whatever the graphic configuration, the hanging man must, in any case, be preceded by several bullish candlesticks. The hanging man located after a continuation of rise will indicate the possibility of a fall because it is a signal of the end of a bullish trend. Some traders believe it is a reliable indicator; many think it is a poor indicator.

At that point, you wait for the candlestick pattern to present itself. That being said, understand there is rarely a “perfect setup” for a trade, so flexibility is possible. A hanging man is a candle with a long wick underneath it, but it is not necessarily a potential signal until its bottom is broken. It represents sellers coming into the market and losing momentum, hanging man candlestick meaning only to turn around and take it back. A hanging man must be at the top of a move higher to show a potential continuation of the action, only to see the continuation broken through to the bottom. This will have some traders that bought that rally to lose money, and then it causes losses for them and even causes fear – something that influences trading.

  • Long White Candle body seems to be much shorter than the Long Black Candle.
  • In this part of the article, we’ll have a look at some trading strategies that make use of the hanging man pattern.
  • This signals a possible bottom is near and the price could start heading higher if confirmed by upward movement on the following candle.
  • Traders use candlesticks to identify patterns and make informed trading decisions.

The higher the volume, the more significant the pattern is considered to be. A bearish candlestick forming after the Hanging Man can further confirm the reversal. We have defined ALL 75 candlestick patterns and put them into strict trading rules that are testable. Each single candlestick pattern is backtested and includes rules, settings, statistics, probabilities, and performance metrics. It is a bearish reversal pattern that signals that the uptrend is going to end.

Traders use candlesticks to identify patterns and make informed trading decisions. The Hanging Man candlestick pattern is popular amongst traders as it is considered a reliable tool for predicting changes in the trend direction. Let’s take a look at the Hanging Man candlestick pattern trading strategy. The appearance of a Hanging Man during an uptrend signals that sellers are starting to enter the market, which may lead to a price decline. Hanging man is bearish because buyers are starting to lose a grip on the market.

Bar Reversal Pattern

While the Hanging Man Candlestick can provide an early warning of a potential market reversal, it is not always accurate. False signals can occur, so they should be used as part of a comprehensive trading strategy, including risk management techniques and other technical indicators. A Hanging Man Candlestick suggests that selling pressure may be increasing, indicating a possible trend reversal from bullish to bearish. Confirmation, typically a lower closing in the next trading period, strengthens this signal. Swing traders, who hold positions for days to weeks, can use the Hanging Man to anticipate potential price swings.

The only difference between the hammer and the hanging man is that the hammer occurs in a downtrend and the hanging man occurs in an uptrend. The shooting star candlestick pattern is a close cousin of the hanging man. The difference between the shooting star and the hanging man is that their wicks are reversed. The hammer and hanging man candlesticks are the same pattern, with one major difference.

Price Action Trading

An inverted hammer candlestick pattern is the same as an upside down hanging man candlestick and is a hybrid. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Candlestick patterns are essential in determining the direction of a financial asset. In the past few weeks, we have looked at several candlestick patterns like the hammer and the morning star.

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By looking at a particular candlestick pattern, the trader can get an immediate visual clue as to who controls the market. The Hanging Man candlestick pattern is characterized by a short wick (or no wick) on top of small body (the candlestick), with a long shadow underneath. If the candlestick is green or white, the asset closed higher than it opened. One of the limitations of the hanging man, and many candlestick patterns, is that waiting for confirmation can result in a poor entry point. The price can move so quickly within the two periods that the potential reward from the trade may no longer justify the risk.

An example of using a hanging man candlestick pattern can be found in Algorand. Look at the chart below; two white candlesticks form as hanging man candles, followed by breaking down below that level to drop several cents. The stop loss is put on top of the two hanging man candlesticks that would have never been threatened, and therefore it looks like a classic setup. The $0.33 level was an area where the market had seen resistance previously. The hanging man features a wick on the bottom of the candlestick after moving to the upside; a shooting star candle has a wick on the top of the candlestick.

What is the difference between a Hanging Man Candlestick and a Hammer Candlestick?

The body of the Hanging Man can be black (or red) or white (or green), but it must be small. The Hanging Man will have a long shadow that is two or three times the length of the body. Other popular ones are the Doji, Morning Star, The Window, and cloud covers among others.

However, if a strong support zone was developed prior pattern occurrence, it is often just a temporary slowdown of price increases. It works best in a longer uptrend, and its occurrence after several days of increases usually does not matter. This Japanese candlestick is a sign that the sellers (bears) could gradually take over the buyers (bulls) and extend the decline in the coming sessions. Therefore the hanging man should not be a signal to take a stand. In a sense, these are similar signals, as they both are very bearish. Furthermore, they are both well-known by traders around the world.

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