Trading the Bear Pennant Pattern: An Essential Guide

Have you ever wondered why pennant patterns are so prevalent in technical analysis? This blog post will cover the bear pennant pattern and its relevance in technical analysis. We will also discuss whether it is a bullish or bearish pattern and how to use it in forex trading.

bear pennant chart pattern

Download Best Free Forex Trading Strategies

What Is a Bear Pennant?

A bear pennant is a chart pattern consisting of a bearish candlestick that forms a flag pole, followed by consolidation that creates a triangle-like shape. The design is typically used to identify a reversal of a downtrend and should be confirmed by other indicators. The bearish flag should be upright, and the pennant body should be narrow at the top and widen as it approaches the bottom of the pattern.

The triangle’s body should be thicker at its base than its apex, and the pennant’s tail should be wider than the flagpole’s. Additionally, bearish pennants can take from one to three weeks to form. The difference between bullish pennants and bearish pennants is the direction of the trade; long for bullish and short for bearish.

Bearish pennants are used in bear markets to identify an endpoint of price action, whereas bullish flags are used in bull markets to seek independent entry points of price action.

What Does a Bear Pennant Look Like?

A bear pennant chart pattern forms after a sharp sell-off in the prices of a stock.

A bear pennant has a triangular contracting shape formed after a sharp fall in stock prices. The bear pennant’s support line meets the bear market’s resistance line, including a triangle known as a bear flag pattern. A bear pennant is identified by its shape and where it forms within the previous downtrend. The formation of a bear pennant typically takes several days to complete.

When you go short with a bear pennant, you’re trading technical Metatrader 4 indicators like price, trendline, and Fibonacci retracement levels instead of an asset’s price. Therefore, you must know how to read chart patterns like bear pennants so that you can identify bullish and bearish signals quickly and effectively in any market scenario.

bear pennant identifying

Indicators to Confirm a Bear Pennant

A bear pennant pattern is an essential indicator of bearishness in the market. As the name suggests, a bear pennant pattern has a contracting triangle rather than a rectangle shape. It forms within the previous downtrend of the market and should last for at least three weeks. Other indicators, such as the time the pattern takes to create, support and resistance lines of the way, and its price movements, can also be used to confirm its presence.

A bear pennant pattern typically emerges after a period of consolidation. The market’s bearish trend is likely to go on for extended periods during bear markets. This pattern forms due to reduced buying pressure in the market. A bullish breakout is unlikely. Thus a bearish trader would wait for confirmation of bearishness before entering a trade.

Shape and Location

The bear pennant pattern is characterized by a contracting triangle rather than a rectangle shape. This pattern typically forms over up to three weeks as an equity or commodity price drops sharply and then stabilizes within a range. In such cases, it is generally developed over a period ranging from one to three weeks. This pattern can be identified when equity or commodity price makes a series of lower highs and lower lows and then suddenly reverses course, forming a triangle-shaped pattern in its chart. Such behavior is often associated with a bearish sentiment, and this pattern is commonly seen during downtrends in equities or commodities.

A bear pennant pattern can identify a strong downtrend as it forms during downtrends in an equity or commodity’s price. Traders should look for a bearish candlestick to form the triangular flag pole, followed by consolidation to create the pennant to confirm that the bearish trend has continued. The flagpole breakout candle typically contains trending price action, while the pennant candlestick contains consolidation before reversing the movement later in the chart.

Volume

Volume is an important technical indicator that can be used to confirm a bear pennant is formed. When analyzing volume, carefully consider the following:

– Volume typically decreases as the price moves within the bear pennant pattern, which signals investors’ lack of conviction to break the bearish trend.

– A decrease in volume as the price breaks out of the bear pennant pattern indicates that the trend may be exhausted, and the price could reverse. This pattern typically occurs at the point of breakout. After the flight, volume naturally increases, indicating a continuation of the bullish trend.

bear pennant explained

15 Best Forex Day Trading Strategies

Lack of Range Expansion

Many traders struggle to identify bear pennant patterns because the pattern may not show any apparent range expansion. This can make it challenging to use as an indicator. Instead, other signals and needles must be used with the bear pennant pattern to confirm its validity. One of these indicators is stop-loss orders, which should be used extensively, given that the way may not show significant range expansion. No indicator can be relied upon to provide an accurate signal, so traders must prepare for the alternative scenario when using any hand. By looking at other signs and indicators alongside a bear pennant pattern, traders can improve their chances of identifying bullish or bearish price action in the market.

How to Trade with the Bear Pennant

A bear pennant is a technical trading pattern indicating a significant price action. To trade with the bear pennant, you need to plan when to open the position, take profit, and cut losses.

The setup for the bear pennant is simple. It involves a bullish triangle pattern that looks like a breakout followed by a bearish reversal pattern breakout. When that happens, traders can open a short position. On the other hand, a bearish pennant signals a downtrend.

In this case, traders should be cautious and not rush to exit their trades because of the bearish trend signal. The bullish and bearish pennants are both triangle patterns that can indicate a significant price action. To trade bearish flags, traders can use various trading methods, such as opening a position on the breakout of a bullish triangle pattern or a reversal pattern breakout of the bearish triangle pattern.

Identifying a Bear Pennant Pattern on a Crypto Chart

A bear pennant pattern is a technical analysis pattern that can help spot strong downtrends in crypto markets. The design consists of three phases: a large, solid, and deep correction, followed by a short-term rally, and then another sentence. In the bear pennant pattern, the upper and lower boundaries of the range become compressed as time passes. To confirm the way, traders can use indicators such as volume and candlestick ranges to identify where the design begins and ends. At-risk levels or stop-losses should be noted when setting up a bear pennant trade.

Pennant Patterns vs. Triangle Patterns: Differences

Looking at patterns of price action, pennant patterns include triangle-like shapes during the consolidation phase. These patterns are commonly seen after a strong bear market trend and form a reversal point. On the other hand, triangle patterns do not require a strong movement preceding the way and can be seen in any market environment.

Pennants form after a deep and robust correction and have a clear direction for the breakpoint. The pattern has a shallow retracement of 38% or less. As for what they are not, triangle patterns are continuation patterns, while pennant patterns act as reversal signals.

In terms of time frame, pennant patterns last one to three weeks on average, while triangle patterns can last for more extended periods. Overall, it is vital to understand the differences between pennant and triangle patterns to make trading decisions based on accurate analysis and informed decision-making.

pennant vs triangle

5 Effective Forex Risk Management Strategies

Spotting the Bear Pennant

The bear pennant pattern is a chart pattern that is recognized as a downtrend in the stock market. The bear pennant pattern consists of a series of lower highs and lower lows. This pattern can be used to spot potential support and resistance levels. The bear pennant pattern is often used to time entry and exit points in the stock market.

The bear pennant pattern should not be mistaken for other technical indicators such as a flag or bar chart patterns. These indicators serve different functions, and bear pennant patterns are not mentioned in any trading manual. Also, bear pennants occur in all market conditions, making them an essential tool for any trader’s arsenal.

Can Bear Pennants Break Up?

The bear pennant pattern is a bearish chart pattern that resembles a flagpole with two horizontal bands on it. When a bear pennant breaks up, it is often accompanied by technical indicators that signal the end of a trend. These indicators include a bearish price trend, momentum, and bearish price action. Bear pennant patterns can last several days or weeks, depending on the market’s direction. However, the bear pennant pattern does not always break up and may continue indefinitely, as shown in the chart below.

Therefore, when trading bears a pennant pattern, you must confirm your trades with a stop loss and take profit according to your risk appetite. Besides, you must be patient and watch for the continuation of the trend before taking a call on the pattern’s bullishness or bearishness. You can also use a trailing stop to protect profits in case of a trend failure.

Bear Pennant vs. Symmetrical Triangle

A bear pennant pattern is a bullish chart pattern characterized by a pennant-like structure that forms after a significant downtrend. This pattern can be distinguished from other bearish patterns, such as a bearish flag or triangle, by the shape of the way. While a bearish flag shows a symmetrical triangle pattern, a pennant formation indicates the continuation of a trend. The best indicators for confirming bear pennant formation are its shape and where it forms within the previous downtrend. In general, bear pennant patterns often lead to a breakout lower in price. However, symmetrical triangle patterns can fly in either direction.

Bear Pennant vs. Bear Flag

A bear pennant is a continuation pattern comprising two converging trend lines. At the same time, a bear flag shall consist of two parallel trend lines. A bear pennant is usually formed when there is a sharp price drop, followed by a consolidation period of bullishness as some sellers take profits. This pattern can be bullish or bearish, and its bullish version, the bear pennant, is the opposite of its bearish counterpart, the bear flag. This pattern tends to form in down-trending markets with intense selling pressure. Going short is crucial when trading with a bearish pennant and bear banners, as this pattern typically indicates an impending break in the trendline. As such, traders should look for opportunities to go long once price action reaches the bottom.

bear pennant vs bear flag

15 Best Forex Breakout Strategies

What Happens After a Bear Pennant?

A bear pennant pattern is a price reversal pattern that appears after an extended downtrend. This pattern typically occurs when the price of an asset falls heavily, breaks support levels, and reverses the trend.

The bear pennant pattern can be interpreted as a bearish continuation pattern. It forms when market participants are bearish on an asset and start to sell it in bulk. As the bearish sentiment intensifies, the asset price breaks support levels and declines sharply. When the selling pressure increases, the asset’s cost moves lower until it approaches rock bottom. At this point, traders stop selling and start buying, resulting in a rally that tests resistance again.

When the bears are exhausted, bulls take over and push prices higher. This bullish resurgence eventually results in price breaking out of pennant shape.

How to Identify and Use the Bear Pennant in Forex Trading?

The bear pennant is a continuation chart pattern that usually occurs during a pronounced downtrend in price. To identify the bear pennant, spot a downtrend in price, draw the flagpole and recognize a period of subsequent market consolidation. The flagpole marks the low point of the bearish trend; it extends horizontally from the price chart for some time before reaching a low point.

The pennant extends from the flagpole, reaching its highest point above it. It is similar to a triangle pattern but with slimmer legs.

Trade bear pennants also use a process that includes determining market entry and setting stop loss and profit targets. Use technical analysis to determine the entry point and stop loss level. After that, analyze chart patterns to decide on profit target and duration of trading.

Start with determining the entry point and stop loss level. Remember that bears are strong trend followers and would have high conviction levels once they have entered the market on a bearish trend. Thus it is essential to be at a stop-loss level just below the entry point when trading bears a pennant pattern.

After identifying the entry point and stop loss level, analyze chart patterns to decide on the profit target and duration of trading.

Once you’ve determined your stop loss level, decide where to take profits based on trade analysis and your risk tolerance level.

trading example

10 Best Momentum Trading Strategies

Bear Pennant Pattern vs. Bullish Pennant Pattern

Pennant patterns are similar to triangle patterns, but there is a difference in the preceding and following trend direction. A bear pennant pattern starts with a bearish candlestick pattern forming a flagpole, then consolidation into a pennant. A bullish pennant pattern begins with a bullish candlestick, creating a flagpole and then consolidating into a standard. These patterns feature converging lines during consolidation and are followed by a significant price movement. The success rate of a pennant pattern is lower than the flag pattern, at just under 70%. This is because flags tend to trend after they have been formed, while pennants do not trend until they have consolidated. However, due to their symmetrical shapes and robust trend continuation features, pennant patterns can still be valuable indicators of future price movements.

Limitations of the Bear Pennant Pattern

The bearish pennant pattern is a trading pattern that forms during downtrends in stock markets. This pattern involves a downtrend followed by a bullish reversal.

The bearish pennant pattern requires a sharp drop in stock prices to form. Once the bearish pennant pattern has been confirmed, traders should look for confirmation signs, such as a breakout of support levels and indicators that point toward price consolidation. However, bearish pennant patterns are unreliable and can be easily disrupted. Therefore, it is essential to tread with caution when trading this pattern.

Also, false breakouts of bearish pennants can occur if other indicators do not confirm the pattern.

Bullish and bearish pennants summed up.

A pennant pattern is a chart pattern seen in the stock market that can be bullish or bearish. A bullish pennant starts with a bullish candlestick that forms a flag pole before consolidating into a pennant formation. It indicates upward solid momentum and ends with a reversal signal.

A bearish pennant starts with a bearish candlestick that forms a flag pole before consolidating into a pennant formation. It indicates downward solid momentum and ends with a reversal signal. The critical difference between pennant patterns and triangle patterns is the strong trend preceding the triangle in a pennant pattern. To trade pennant patterns, traders should go long in a bull pennant and short in a bear pennant.

7 Best RSI Trading Strategies

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable are pennant patterns?

Pennant patterns are a reliable way to identify potential price movements in the stock market. This chart pattern is formed when there is a sharp rise or down in the security price, followed by a period of consolidation. The result is a triangle-like shape that resembles a pennant. These patterns can identify trend reversals and breakouts from trading ranges.

They are considered reliable because they often indicate significant changes in the trend direction of the security being studied. While these patterns may not always be accurate, they are generally considered one of the more reliable chart patterns for predicting future movements.

Can I trade the bear pennant on forex, futures, and shares?

You can trade the bear pennant on forex, futures, and shares. The bear pennant is a technical chart pattern that indicates a potential market reversal from an uptrend to a downtrend. In forex trading, the pennant formation typically appears after an extended move up in the currency pair. When it forms, traders will watch for a breakdown below the lower trend line of the pattern as confirmation that the trend has reversed. In stock trading, traders look for a break in the support level of the pennant to signal a reversal from an uptrend to a downtrend.

Lastly, futures traders watch for price action to break through its support level and follow through with further downside momentum before entering into short positions. All in all, bear pennants can be traded on forex, futures, and shares if one pays attention to their patterns and looks for confirmation of reversals.

Can bear pennant break up?

Bears generally have a reputation for being very loyal and devoted to their partners. However, in some cases, bears can break up. This is especially true if the bear feels neglected or unloved by its partner or if there are problems with communication that cannot be resolved. Additionally, if one of the bears has changed significantly since they first got together, it can lead to incompatibilities that can’t be overcome, resulting in a breakup.

Bears also get bored quickly and need much stimulation to remain committed to their relationship. While bear pennants tend to stay together longer than other couples, they can break up if the situation demands it.

Is Bear pennant bullish?

In short, a bear pennant is a chart pattern that predicts the trend of an asset. A bearish flag starts with a bearish candlestick that forms a flagpole. This is followed by a period of consolidation, creating a banner. The bearish trend is usually interrupted by a few periods of bullishness when buyers start coming in and some sellers start taking a profit. A bullish pennant is the opposite of a bearish flag, which happens when a similar consolidation follows a sharp price increase.

What is a bear pennant pattern, and why is it useful?

A bearish pennant pattern is a charting pattern that can be used to identify a strong downtrend in crypto prices. The design is characterized by a consolidation phase with a nearly symmetrical triangle formed by the support and resistance lines. Traders can use the way to spot false bottoms and set up their trades with risk and take-profit levels noted. The design can also help traders differentiate between flag and pennant patterns. Pennant charts are formed over up to three weeks.

trading example 2

5 Advanced Trading View Strategies For Beginners

Conclusion

The bear pennant is a chart pattern that can identify bearish price momentum. As the pennant pattern forms, price action may show consolidation above support. When indicators confirm the bear pennant pattern, the price is headed lower. Traders can use bear pennant patterns to plan their trading strategy and take advantage of price consolidation to profit from bearish price action. Which of these chart patterns do traders find more useful? Tell us in the comments below!

Author: Dominic Walsh
blank

I am a highly regarded trader, author & coach with over 16 years of experience trading financial markets. Today I am recognized by many as a forex strategy developer. After starting blogging in 2014, I became one of the world's most widely followed forex trading coaches, with a monthly readership of more than 40,000 traders! Make sure to follow me on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | Youtube| Twitter | Pinterest | Medium | Quora | Reddit | Telegram Channel

Leave a Comment