Bullish Engulfing Pattern: Definition, Example, and What It Means Definition

The purpose of the Bullish Engulfing Pattern, a concept in technical analysis used by stock traders, is to identify potential reversals in price trends, specifically from a downtrend to an uptrend. The pattern emerges at the end of a downward trend, indicating that bulls (buyers) are gaining strength over bears (sellers). More than a mere momentary change in price, this pattern hints at a larger sentiment shift among investors towards optimism and potentially a long-term trend reversal. When traders observe this pattern, they commonly interpret it as a sign to buy because it suggests that demand for the stock is about to exceed supply, consequently driving its price higher. However, caution must be exercised as the pattern alone does not guarantee a bullish turnaround. It is generally advised to consider other technical indicators and market factors alongside to make robust trading decisions.

Now, if we’ve had a bearish trend for some time, it also means that the market with most likelihood is below it’s moving average. For example, if the range of the bullish candle is significantly bigger than the bearish one, then that’s likely better than if it just engulfs the previous bar by a very small margin. If the range of the two candles that make up the pattern are significantly https://g-markets.net/ larger than the surrounding bars, then they get more significant, since they contain more market movement. However, the bulls gain strength and manage not only to push the price higher, but to recover the gap and make the candle close higher than the open of the preceding bearish candle. When a bullish engulfing is formed, it tells us that the bulls finally won the fight with the bears.

A much larger down candle shows more strength than if the down candle is only slightly larger than the up candle. A bullish engulfing pattern is a candlestick pattern that suggests a potential market reversal from a bearish to a bullish trend. The bullish engulfing pattern is typically interpreted as a potential buy signal by traders. The pattern suggests that bulls have overcome the bears, leading to a potential upward price movement. This two candlestick pattern occurs after a downtrend and is formed by one bearish candlestick (which is covered) and one bullish candlestick (which does the covering).

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The bullish engulfing candle pattern can be observed in action in the GBP/USD daily chart presented below. Subsequent candles validated the signal as they closed above the high of the bullish candle. A bullish engulfing is a two-candle reversal candlestick pattern that usually forms after a bearish trend, and signals that a bullish trend has been initiated.

• In order for prices to rise in the future consistently, there must be a considerable increase in the purchasing of the stock so that its closing price ends up much higher than the opening price.
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• The first candlestick shows that the bulls were in charge of the market, while the second shows that bearish pressure pushed the market price lower.
• Investors should look not only to the two candlesticks which form the bullish engulfing pattern but also to the preceding candlesticks.

Another method is to place a buy-stop order just above the high of the second candle. Stay on top of upcoming market-moving events with our customisable economic calendar. Discover the range of markets and learn how they work – with IG Academy’s online course.

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Irrespective of your stock trading style, it presents viable evidence for your stock trading decisions. Traders are advised to be especially careful when interpreting bullish engulfing patterns when significant size differences occur in the candlesticks for the first and second day. This means that a single red candle may be followed by two, three, or even four green candlesticks of varying length, all forming a part of the bullish candlestick pattern. A bullish engulfing pattern occurs after a price move lower and indicates higher prices to come. The second candle is a larger up candle, with a real body that fully engulfs the smaller down candle.

Candlesticks are so named because the rectangular shape and lines on either end resemble a candle with wicks. Each candlestick usually represents one day’s worth of price data about a stock. Over time, the candlesticks group into recognizable patterns that investors can use to make buying and selling decisions. The most successful stock trading decisions are based on observing the right signs when a flip over happens as a bullish engulfing pattern starts to unfold.

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This combination of candlesticks is still considered to engulf the single preceding red candlestick as long as the body (and tails) is fully covered by its green counterparts. It depicts a sign of stocks moving up, after a period of sluggish bearish runs. The image below depicts the bullish engulfing pattern appearing at the bottom of a downtrend. While it’s a powerful pattern, it’s best used in conjunction with other technical indicators to make more informed trading decisions. The bearish candle real body of Day 1 is usually contained within the real body of the bullish candle of Day 2.

While there are some ways to predict markets, technical analysis is not always a perfect indication of performance. You can check out Investopedia’s list of the best online stock brokers to get an idea of the top choices in the industry. Again, bullish confirmation is required, and it can come in the form of a long hollow candlestick or a gap up, accompanied by a heavy trading volume. The Inverted Hammer also forms in a downtrend and represents a likely trend reversal or support. This means that a stock trader may have difficulty attributing a certain level of confidence to trading decisions executed on the basis of this pattern.

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IG International Limited is licensed to conduct investment business and digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Let’s take a quick example to understand how Bullish Engulfing Pattern can be identified and then made use of in your trades. Someone on our team will connect you with a financial professional in our network holding the correct designation and expertise. Our writing and editorial staff are a team of experts holding advanced financial designations and have written for most major financial media publications. Our work has been directly cited by organizations including Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Investopedia, Forbes, CNBC, and many others.

If the closing price is higher than the opening price, the body is usually unfilled or white (representing a bullish candle). If the candle is engulfed by a green candle on the following day, it might not necessarily result in a trend reversal. It is because the closing price of the green candle can be marginally higher than the opening price, and still engulf the preceding narrow red candle. The reason is that the bullish candle is a sort of confirmation that the trend has reverted, which means that it already has started going up.

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Sometimes the overall market volatility could have a big impact on the results of a specific pattern. For example, you might want not want to take a trade if the market has been very volatile lately. Volatile markets perform greater swings, and as such, there is a greater chance that they would perform a bullish engulfing by random chance, than in a less volatile environment. Alternatively, if you’d like to learn more about financial markets, technical analysis and candlesticks specifically, you can visit the IG Academy. The lines at both ends of a candlestick are called shadows, and they show the entire range of price action for the day, from low to high.

For example, taking a short trade may not be wise if the uptrend is very strong. Even the formation of a bearish engulfing pattern may not be enough to halt the advance for long. Practise using bullish engulfing candlestick patterns in a risk-free environment by opening an IG demo account. The bullish candlestick tells traders that buyers are in full control of the market, following a previous bearish run. It is often seen as a signal to buy the market – known as going long – to take advantage of the market reversal. The bullish pattern is also a sign for those in a short position to consider closing their trade.

The key to building confidence when trading the bullish engulfing candle is to complement the candle formation with a supporting signal/indicator. Understanding how the bullish engulfing pattern forms are crucial to recognizing its significance. bullish engulfing definition We will explore the specific criteria that define this pattern, such as the size and relationship between the two candles. By grasping the formation process, you’ll quickly identify it on price charts and leverage its predictive power.

And once you have positive price action, the RSI reading will surge as well, which will leave us with close to no signals. While the bullish engulfing pattern is more commonly used in daily or weekly charts, it can also be applied to shorter time frames for scalping or short-term trading strategies. However, the reliability of the pattern may decrease in shorter time frames due to increased market noise and volatility. In a downtrend, it can signal a reversal, whereas, in an uptrend, it can signal the continuation of the uptrend.