Shooting Star
A Shooting Star is a single-candle bearish reversal pattern that forms after an uptrend, with a small body near the bottom of the range and a long upper wick at least twice the body's length.
Buyers pushed price sharply higher during the session, but sellers overwhelmed them and dragged price back down to close near the open — an early warning that buying pressure is fading.
- Appears after a clear uptrend.
- Small body sits in the lower third of the candle's range.
- Upper wick is at least 2x the body length, with little to no lower wick.
- Wait for bearish confirmation on the next candle before entering short.
- Stop-loss is commonly placed above the Shooting Star's high.
Educational only — not financial advice. Combine any candlestick pattern with broader market context, risk management, and your own trading plan.
Common questions
Bearish — it appears after an uptrend and signals that upward momentum is running out of steam.
They share the same shape, but a Shooting Star forms after an uptrend (bearish), while an Inverted Hammer forms after a downtrend (bullish).