Another issue has to do with the depth of the cup part of the formation. Sometimes a shallower cup can be a signal, while other times a deep cup can produce a false signal. Finally, one limitation shared across many technical patterns is that it can be unreliable in illiquid stocks. A profit target is determined by measuring the distance between the bottom of the cup and the pattern’s breakout level, and extending that distance upward from the breakout. For example, if the distance between the bottom of the cup and handle breakout level is 20 points, a profit target is placed 20 points above the pattern’s handle. Stop loss orders may be placed either below the handle or below the cup depending on the trader’s risk tolerance and market volatility.

cup and handle forex

Trading chart patterns is the highest form of price action analysis, and it helps traders to track trends as well as map out definitive support and resistance zones. This means that traders are able to place buy and sell orders in the market early enough and at optimal price points. It is one of the most important chart patterns to know how to make money in the financial market. The handle follows the retracement from the top nearly 1/3rd of the Cup’s height. The direction shows a period of consolidation followed by a breakout. It is also considered a bullish continuation or reversal pattern.

Trading Cup And Handle Patterns

Changes in market conditions are a natural source of market risk, but chart patterns ensure that they are a source of great opportunity. Conditional orders have defined price targets and they help traders manage risks, open positions, as well as secure profits. As mentioned above, chart patterns are usually rule-based and have specific price targets when they form. This makes chart patterns the ideal analysis type for trading conditional orders, where specific price levels are targeted. The cup and handle pattern structure show the momentum pause after reaching a new high in a U-Shaped form, followed by another attempt to breakout.

Is reverse cup and handle bullish?

The Cup and Handle pattern is a bullish continuation pattern that marks a consolidation period followed by a breakout whereas Inverted Cup and Handle pattern is a bearish continuation pattern.

Similarly, if a rectangle chart pattern forms in a downtrend, traders will look to place sell orders after the horizontal support is breached. A rounding bottom is a bullish reversal pattern that forms during an extended downtrend, signalling that a change in the long-term trend is due. The pattern is nicknamed ‘saucer’ because of the clear ‘U’ visual shape that it forms. The formation of the pattern implies that downward momentum is declining, and sellers are gradually losing the battle to buyers. A rounding bottom forms when the pace of falling prices decreases, followed by a brief period of price stabilisation that forms a rounded low (not a sharp ‘V’ shaped low). A bullish reversal is confirmed if prices break above the neckline of the pattern.

Cup And Handle Pattern Detection Algorithm

If the pattern is bearish, take the two bottoms of the cup and stretch a curved line upwards until the rounded part reaches the top of the pattern. Take the right side of the cup afterwards and draw the shape of the bullish handle. If the pattern is bullish, take the two tops of the cup and stretch a curved line downwards until the rounded part reaches the low of the pattern. Then take the right side of the cup and draw the shape of the bearish handle.

What does cup with handle mean?

The Cup with Handle is a bullish continuation pattern that marks a consolidation period followed by a breakout. It was developed by William O’Neil and introduced in his 1988 book, How to Make Money in Stocks. … The cup forms after an advance and looks like a bowl or rounding bottom.

All investing involves risk, including loss of principal invested. Past performance of a security or strategy does not guarantee future results or success. Wait for the pattern to complete in order to avoid fake outs. Wait for the price Breakout on handle with a bullish candlestick.

Example Of How To Use The Cup And Handle

Ultimately, if the price breaks above the handle, it signals an upside move. The security finally broke out in July 2014, with the uptrend matching the length of the cup in a perfect measured move. The rally peak established a new high that yielded a pullback retracing 50% of the prior Swing trading rally, nearly identical to the prior pattern. This time, the cup prints a V-shape rather than a rounded bottom, with price stalling under the prior high. It ground sideways in a broadening formation that looks nothing like the classic handle for another three weeks and broke out.

Continuation chart patterns usually occur during price consolidation periods and offer great opportunities for traders to open positions in the direction of the dominant trend. The most common continuation chart Fibonacci Forex Trading patterns include directional wedges, flags and pennants. These patterns build up in a retracement manner and a breakout in the direction of the main trend confirms that the temporary pullback is now over.

How To Identify And Trade Cup And Handle Trading Patterns?

Secondly, you need to learn to identify the length and depth of a true cup and handle, as there can be false signals. The longer and rounder the bottom, the stronger the signal. Lastly, illiquidity also restricts the cup and handle from fully forming as trading volume also affects an asset’s price. They are continuation patterns and usually form in bullish trends.

Inverted ‘U’ shaped – ideally price consolidation resembles a bowl or rounding top. Concept is the softer inverted ‘U’ shape is a consolidation with valid or true ‘resistance’.  Inverted ‘V’ shaped – considered ‘too sharp’ by many to qualify Bear trend – ideally depth of the cup should retrace 1/3 or less of the previous trend decline but it often will hit 50%.

  • The last thing you want to do is short the market because it’s likely to breakout higher.
  • The stop loss order of the trade needs to be placed above the handle.
  • The change in the move is so gradual that the price action creates a rounded bottom on the chart.
  • Price targets, when trading double tops and bottoms, are equal to the same height as the formation.
  • At the time of writing, Ripple is trading at $1.2632 and appears to be battling immediate resistance at the $1.37 level.
  • If the stop-loss is below the half-way point of the cup, avoid the trade.

As you see, the price action breaks to the lower level of the S/R zone, which indicated that the price will probably continue in the bearish direction. Note the large bearish move on the chart following the breakdown. The Cup with Handle trigger signal is at the break out of the handle. When you identify the handle breakout, you can plot the two targets of the pattern – the size of the handle and the size of the cup.

This rally failed to reach the measured move target at 50, calculated by adding the four-point depth of the cup to the resistance line near $46. Microsoft Corporation printed two non-traditional cup and handle patterns in 2014. It topped out at $41.66 in April and pulled back to the 38.6% retracement of the last trend leg. Price carved out a choppy but rounded bottom at that level and returned to the high in June.

What Is An inverted Cup And Handle?

This includes drawing trendlines for the handles to highlight the breakout points, notes to mark important areas, or arrows to highlight potential entry and exit points. We also offer a chart scanner with pattern recognition software that works automatically to detect and highlight trends for your ease of trading. Above is an example of two cup and handles that formed in the Big Tech share basket on our Next Generation trading platform. The pattern on the left is more complex as the cup pattern is wavy and harder to identify.

If the price ascends beyond the upper, right side of the cup, then the pattern is confirmed, particularly if it is accompanied with a sharp increase in volume. The cup and handle is a very distinctive pattern that can appear on any financial chart. The standard interpretation of the cup and handle is that it is bullish consolidation/continuation. Cup and handles are relatively common and can appear at any timeframe. The reasoning behind this explanation is that the breakout move requires strong volume after the necessary quiet period to form both the cup and the handle.

cup and handle forex

Ideally, the stop loss should be within the upper third of the cup since strong handles will not drop below this point. The best place to enter a cup and handle pattern to maximize the likelihood of predicting the breakout while minimizing risk is during the handle. At this point, the cup and handle pattern should be evident.

What Is A Bullish Cup And Handle?

Also, the handle needs to form in the upper half of the cup. While cups with a more “U” shaped bottom are preferred, “V” shaped bottom cups are also traded. Opponents, however, argue that a V-shaped bottom indicates lack of price stability before bottoming. The height of the breakout handle is added to the height of the cup to get the target figure. The cup should be roughly symmetrical with the two sides of the pattern at nearly the same level.

Leveraged trading in foreign currency or off-exchange products on margin carries significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. We advise you to carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for you based on your personal circumstances. We recommend that you seek independent advice and ensure you fully understand the risks involved before trading. Remember that you should always use your knowledge and risk appetite to decide if you are going to trade based on ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ signals. Starting from point A, go back in time to find point B where priceB is around priceA.

Also notice how the pattern starts with a bullish trend, which gradually reverses. At the end of the reversed bearish move, the price reverses again and starts the creation of a bullish handle. As we said, the classic cup and handle pattern cup and handle pattern has its bearish equivalent – the bearish Cup & Handle, which is a mirror image of the standard Cup & Handle. The bullish Cup and Handle pattern is the one we have been discussing so far.

Making money on the forex market—or any other exchange, for that matter—can certainly be tricky. But thanks to a number of chart patterns, you can learn to anticipate price movements and act accordingly. During the handle formation, watch for the price and volume to increase.

Author: Jill Disis