Morning Star candlestick pattern
A three-candle bottom: a large bearish candle, a small-bodied candle that gaps lower, then a large bullish candle that closes well into the first candle's body.
Illustrative shape. Real patterns vary in proportion.
How to identify a Morning Star
- Appears after a decline
- Candle 1: large bearish body
- Candle 2: small body (either color) that gaps below candle 1
- Candle 3: large bullish body closing above the midpoint of candle 1
What the Morning Star tells you
Selling is strong on day one, stalls on day two, and reverses on day three. The pattern shows the full handoff from sellers to buyers over three sessions.
How traders use it
The third candle is the confirmation, so traders often enter on its close with a stop under the low of the middle candle. A deeper close into candle 1 strengthens the signal.
Before taking any pattern-based trade, decide your stop first and size the position from it with the position size calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Morning Star bullish or bearish? +
The Morning Star is a bullish reversal pattern. A three-candle bottom: a large bearish candle, a small-bodied candle that gaps lower, then a large bullish candle that closes well into the first candle's body.
How reliable is the Morning Star? +
No candlestick pattern works every time. Patterns are more reliable when they form at a meaningful level (support, resistance, a moving average), after a clear trend, on higher volume, and when the next candle confirms them.
Do I need confirmation to trade the Morning Star? +
Most traders want it. Waiting for the next candle to move in the expected direction filters out many false signals, at the cost of a slightly worse entry price.
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