As of 03/18/2024
  Indus: 38,790 +75.66 +0.2%  
  Trans: 15,418 -81.05 -0.5%  
  Utils: 853 +3.06 +0.4%  
  Nasdaq: 16,103 +130.28 +0.8%  
  S&P 500: 5,149 +32.33 +0.6%  
YTD
 +2.9%  
-3.0%  
-3.2%  
 +7.3%  
 +8.0%  
  Targets    Overview: 03/13/2024  
  Down arrow38,000 or 39,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow16,300 or 15,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow885 or 830 by 04/01/2024
  Down arrow15,200 or 16,600 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow5,250 or 5,000 by 04/01/2024
As of 03/18/2024
  Indus: 38,790 +75.66 +0.2%  
  Trans: 15,418 -81.05 -0.5%  
  Utils: 853 +3.06 +0.4%  
  Nasdaq: 16,103 +130.28 +0.8%  
  S&P 500: 5,149 +32.33 +0.6%  
YTD
 +2.9%  
-3.0%  
-3.2%  
 +7.3%  
 +8.0%  
  Targets    Overview: 03/13/2024  
  Down arrow38,000 or 39,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow16,300 or 15,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow885 or 830 by 04/01/2024
  Down arrow15,200 or 16,600 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow5,250 or 5,000 by 04/01/2024

Bulkowski on Rising Wedges

Statistics updated 8/27/2020.

For more information on this pattern, read Encyclopedia of Chart PatternsEncyclopedia of Chart Patterns book., pictured on the right.

If you click on the above link and then buy the book (or anything) while at Amazon.com, the referral will help support this site. Thanks.

-- Tom Bulkowski

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Rising wedges, especially for downward breakouts, are some of the worst performing chart patterns. Downward breakouts have unacceptably high failure rates and small post breakout declines.

Rising wedge chart pattern
Rising Wedge Chart Pattern

 

Rising Wedge: Important Bull Market Results

Overall performance rank for up/down breakouts (1 is best): 32 out of 39/36 (last) out of 36
Break even failure rate for up/down breakouts: 19%/51%
Average rise/decline: 38%/9%
Throwback/pullback rate: 72%/72%
Percentage meeting price target for up/down breakouts: 63%/32%

The above numbers are based on more than 1,400 perfect trades. See the glossary for definitions.

Rising Wedge: Identification Guidelines

CharacteristicDiscussion
Price trendCan be any direction leading to the pattern.
ShapeA narrowing and rising triangle shape.
TrendlinesPrice bounces between two up-sloping and converging trendlines.
TouchesPrice should touch (at a minor high or minor low) each trendline at least five times to outline a good pattern. That's 3 touches of one trendline and 2 of the opposite.
Duration3 weeks is the minimum duration, otherwise it's a pennant.
Volume trendTrends downward 79% of the time until the breakout.
BreakoutCan be in any direction but is downward 60% of the time.
ConfirmationThe pattern confirms as a valid one when price closes outside one of the trendlines.

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Rising Wedge: Trading Tips

Trading TacticExplanation Rising wedge measure rule
The Measure Rule
Measure ruleFor downward breakouts, the lowest valley in the pattern (A) is the price target. Alternatively, compute the height from the highest peak (B) to the lowest valley (A) and then multiply it by the above 'percentage meeting price target.' Add it to (upward breakouts) or subtract it from (downward breakouts) the breakout price (the point at which price crosses the trendline, shown in the Measure Rule figure to the right as a blue line for this downward breakout) to get a price target (C).
BreakoutThe average distance to an upward breakout is 67% of the way to the triangle apex (where the trendlines join).
ConfirmationWait for a close outside one of the trendlines before taking a position.
Throwbacks and pullbacksThrowbacks and pullbacks hurt performance.
WeaknessUpward breakouts may show weakness two weeks after the breakout.
WidthWide patterns perform better than narrow ones (upward breakouts only).

Rising Wedge: Example

Rising wedge chart pattern example

The above figure shows an example of a rising wedge chart pattern. Each trendline has at least three distinct minor high or minor low touches, sandwiched between two converging trendlines. The upward breakout from this rising wedge is unusual because of its rarity. A throwback follows the breakout in this example.

-- Thomas Bulkowski

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See Also

 

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