After the market makes a lower low, it finds strong support which forms the head of the pattern. An Inverse Head and Shoulders, also called a “Head and Shoulders Bottom” is a reversal chart pattern. Get ready to receive three amazing chart pattern videos that are over 30 minutes long straight into your inbox. This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. Although using a measured objective can be quite accurate, it should never be used alone.

So far you’ve learned the five characteristics of the inverse head and shoulders. Now it’s time for the really fun part – how to trade (and profit) from this pattern. The market finds resistance at the neckline once more, which forms the second shoulder.

What Is the Inverse Head and Shoulders?

However, traders usually consider narrower stop-loss areas because the risk is higher. There are some common inverse head and shoulders pattern rules that you can use; however, you can still develop your own trading strategy and try other entry and exit points. In the head and shoulders pattern, we are waiting for price action to move lower than the neckline after the peak of the right shoulder. For the inverse head and shoulders, we wait for price movement above the neckline after the right shoulder is formed. An investor can wait for the price to close above the neckline; this is effectively waiting for confirmation that the breakout is valid. Using this strategy, an investor can enter on the first close above the neckline.

But much like any other candlestick chart pattern, there are several ways and techniques to trade the inverse head and shoulders pattern. And how can you maximize your profitability when using the inverse head and shoulders chart pattern in forex trading? The take-profit target would have equalled the distance between the head and the neckline (4). As the trend was strong, the trader could have used a trailing take-profit order and lifted the target. The stop-loss level could have been placed according to the risk/reward ratio and changed accordingly if there had been a trailing take profit. The construction is simple – you need to find two troughs at almost the same level with a lower one in between at the end of a downtrend.

Trading the Inverse Head-and-Shoulders Pattern

In essence, the inverse head and shoulders pattern is a bottoming chart pattern – meaning, sellers fail in pushing prices lower below a certain support level. The pattern is composed of a left shoulder, a head, then a right shoulder. The most common entry point is a breakout of the neckline, with a stop above (market top) or below (market bottom) the right shoulder. Since the inverse head and shoulders is a bullish candlestick pattern, you’ll obviously need to find the ideal entry-level for a long position.

• That downtrend is met by minor support, which forms the first shoulder.
• This difference is then subtracted from the neckline breakout level (at a market top) to provide a price target for the downside.
• In the reverse head and shoulders chart above, the volumes rose when the price broke above the neckline (2).
• However, it has some limitations that should be considered before entering a live market.
• The initial decline and subsequent peak represent the building momentum of the prior bearish trend into the first shoulder portion.

To find the objective, you simple measure the distance in pips from the head to the neckline. Once we know this distance, we simply project 175 pips above the neckline to find the objective. Notice in the chart above, the distance from the head to the neckline is 175 pips. Now let me turn your attention to how you can actually profit from this pattern.

Live prices

This difference is then subtracted from the neckline breakout level (at a market top) to provide a price target for the downside. For a market bottom, the difference is added to the neckline breakout price to provide a price target to the upside. It usually occurs after an extended move higher and represents exhaustion from buyers.

If you have traded with the head and shoulders formation, you will quickly learn how to use it; however, it’s worth practising before you enter a live market. The upside-down head and shoulders formation is an approach that can be used easily by traders with any level of experience. However, it has some limitations that should be considered before entering a live market. The best way to identify a profit target is by combining a measured objective with simple support and resistance. Traders use charts to study different types of patterns in market trends, including the inverse head-and-shoulders pattern. The pattern is characterized by three troughs (the upward head and shoulders have peaks), with the middle trough being the lowest.

What Does a Head and Shoulders Pattern Mean?

Head and shoulders is a chart pattern that is used by technical analysts. It signals that there is a trend reversal from a bullish to a bearish cycle, where an upward trend is about to end. Keep in mind that there are never any perfect patterns, which means there will always be some noise in between. The pattern appears on all time frames and can, therefore, be used by all types of traders and investors.

FXOpen offers ECN, STP, Micro and Crypto trading accounts (dependent on entity). Formations are rarely perfect, which means there may be some noise between the respective shoulders and head. The measured move, on the other hand, represents the distance traveled from the neckline to the objective. The time frame required for this close depends on which time frame is best respecting the neckline.

Like the name, it’s formation includes a left shoulder, head, and right shoulder. The most common way to trade the inverse head and shoulders pattern is to immediately enter a position when the price breaks above the resistance neckline. The inverse head and shoulders pattern is simple, meaning you can spot it on charts of different financial instruments.