Marubozu
Overview
A marubozu is a candle with no wicks (or very small wicks) — the open and close are at the extreme ends. A bullish marubozu opens at low, closes at high. A bearish marubozu opens at high, closes at low. Marubozus represent maximum conviction and can signal the start of a strong momentum move.
Key Concepts
No wicks or extremely small wicks, Full control by buyers (bullish) or sellers (bearish), Often represents breakout moves, Volume should be elevated
Entry Signals
Marubozu breaking through key resistance/support, Marubozu occurring on high volume, Opening marubozu (wick only on opening side) at trend continuation points
Exit Signals
On bullish marubozu: stop at 50% of the candle's range, hold for continuation. On bearish: inverse. Watch for immediate follow-through.
Best Timeframes
All timeframes, best on 1H+
Pro Tips
A marubozu that also breaks a consolidation range or trendline is an extremely strong signal. The absence of wicks means there was no meaningful opposition.
More Topics in This Category
Engulfing Patterns
A bullish engulfing pattern occurs when a large green candle completely engulfs the prior red candle near the bottom of a trend. A bearish engulfing is the opposite — a large red candle swallows the prior green candle at the top. Engulfing patterns are among the most reliable two-candle reversal signals.
Shooting Star
The shooting star is a bearish reversal candle with a small body near the low and a long upper shadow (at least 2× the body). It appears at the top of uptrends and signals that buyers pushed price higher but sellers took control. It is the inverted version of the hammer.
Abandoned Baby Pattern
The abandoned baby is a rare three-candle reversal pattern considered one of the most reliable candlestick signals. It forms when a doji gaps away from the preceding candle and the following candle gaps in the opposite direction, leaving the doji isolated with gaps on both sides. The pattern indicates a dramatic shift in market sentiment where momentum completely reverses between sessions.
Doji & Spinning Tops
Doji and spinning top candles signal indecision between buyers and sellers. A doji has nearly identical open and close prices, while a spinning top has a small body with long wicks on both sides. These patterns are most significant at the end of extended trends where they can foreshadow reversals.