A Trader’s Guide to the Ascending Triangle IG International

By Rutul Patel — In Forex Trading — April 26, 2021

ascending triangle forex

Ascending triangles are formed when the price consolidates between a horizontal resistance level and a rising trendline. Traders often look for a breakout above the horizontal resistance level, which can indicate a potential uptrend continuation. To identify an ascending triangle, look for a horizontal resistance level and a rising trendline that connect at least two swing highs. As the name suggests, the ascending triangle carries with it bullish connotations and typically forms in an uptrend, vice versa for the descending triangle.

  1. To identify a symmetrical triangle, look for at least two swing highs and two swing lows that connect to form the converging trendlines.
  2. So, being able to recognize the ascending triangle pattern can be a valuable tool that you can use to identify profitable trades.
  3. Some leeway on the bottom would be recommended amid the imperfect pattern in practice.
  4. You should consider whether you understand how this product works, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
  5. Yes, triangle patterns are easy to identify with the use of Forex brokers’ platforms that provide advanced charting tools and technical analysis features.

For example, if there is a breakout above the upper trendline of a symmetrical triangle, traders may enter a long position, expecting an uptrend continuation. Ascending triangle patterns with a breakout accompanied by high volume have a higher probability of success. The study shows that the ascending triangle pattern is more reliable when it appears in an uptrend, and the breakout occurs above the horizontal resistance level. Consider the shape formed by the horizontal resistance line and the upward-sloping trendline by identifying a series of peaks that reach roughly the same price level but fail to break out and connect them using a trendline. Price needs to test a resistance level at least twice to confirm that sellers are constantly stepping in at that price level.

The triangle pattern’s advantages include clear entry and exit points and the ability to identify trend continuations or reversals. The disadvantages of the triangle chart pattern are the risk of false breakouts and the need for confirmation, which results in missed trade opportunities. Reliable ascending chart patterns usually form within weeks to a few months and could last for around three months before experiencing a breakout. The triangle pattern’s effectiveness relies on volume confirmation to provide insights into the strength and conviction behind price movements.

ascending triangle forex

What is the Importance of the Triangle Pattern in Trading?

Wide patterns like this present a higher risk/reward than patterns that get substantially narrower as time goes on. As a pattern narrows, the stop loss becomes smaller since the distance to the breakout point is smaller, yet the profit target is still based on the largest part of the pattern. Now that we understand the different types of triangle patterns, let’s explore some trading strategies that can be applied when trading these patterns.

Symmetrical triangles are characterized by two converging trendlines that meet at a point. This pattern represents a period of consolidation, where the market is undecided about its next move. Traders often look for a breakout from the triangle, which can signal a continuation or reversal of the existing trend. To identify a symmetrical triangle, look for at least two swing highs and two swing lows that connect to form the converging trendlines.

A triangle is a type of consolidation, and therefore volume tends to contract during an ascending triangle. As mentioned, traders look for volume to increase on a breakout, as this helps confirm the price is likely to keep heading in the breakout direction. If the price breaks out on low volume, that is a warning sign that the breakout lacks strength. An ascending triangle is generally considered to be a continuation pattern, meaning that the pattern is significant if it occurs within an uptrend or downtrend. Once the breakout from the triangle occurs, traders tend to aggressively buy or sell the asset depending on which direction the price broke out.

Volume analysis can also provide valuable insights when trading triangle patterns. An increase in volume during a breakout can confirm the validity of the breakout and suggest strong market participation. Traders should look for an increase in volume when the price breaks out of a triangle pattern, as it can indicate the beginning of a new trend.

When we reach the climax point of the triangle where the price has nowhere to go, that’s the moment when we should anticipate a breakout. Whichever side of the coin it is, that is what it’s causing the triangle price formation to develop. Now, let’s go through some stuff that will make the triangle pattern easier to be understood. Those instances usually happen when the ascending triangle develops within a downtrend. If you try to buy every swing high you can get stuck in a whipsaw when you’re trading this pattern. This shows that the market has tried multiple times to break the resistance top but it couldn’t.

ascending triangle forex

Connect a series of higher lows to form the lower upward-sloping trendline of the ascending triangle pattern. The triangle chart pattern’s accuracy is enhanced by integrating other technical analysis tools, such as moving averages and Relative Strength Index (RSI), when confirming the validity of a triangle pattern breakout. Traders should use moving average crossovers to align with the breakout direction or use momentum indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) to gauge the strength of the trend. The triangle pattern’s accuracy increases in a low-volatile market since lower volatility makes the price action orderly, but high market volatility leads to frequent false breakouts. In a false breakout, the price briefly exceeds the triangle pattern’s boundaries before reversing, making it difficult to differentiate between a true breakout and a temporary fluctuation. Traders expect a bullish breakout when an ascending triangle forms after an upward trend, but a weak or ambiguous preceding trend causes the breakout to lack the same momentum, leading to a higher chance of failure.

How Do You Trade the Ascending Triangle Chart Pattern?

For example, if a long trade is taken on an upside breakout, a stop loss is placed just plus500 forex review below the lower trendline. The ascending triangle meaning in stocks and other assets’ charts is that the market lacks enough momentum to break through the resistance area, despite bulls continuing to buy the assets on each dip, leading to higher lows. With continuation patterns, the best strategy is to buy straight away with the breakout. Since the price usually contracts inside the ascending triangle pattern, at one point either the bulls or the bears must win. With the RSI indicator in our trading arsenal, we can determine in advance who is going to win this battle.

The triangle chart patterns popularity is enhanced by their versatility across different time frames and markets in technical analysis. The ascending triangle differs from the other triangle chart patterns, the descending triangle pattern and the symmetrical triangle pattern, in the shape of the trendlines and the direction of their breakouts. The ascending triangle pattern involves a horizontal upper trendline and a sloping lower trendline, followed by a bullish breakout signaling trend continuation. An ascending triangle pattern is a bullish continuation chart pattern that forms when an asset’s price repeatedly tests an upper horizontal resistance trendline and a lower upward-sloping support trendline. The ascending triangle pattern indicates that buyers are gradually gaining strength as coinmama exchange review they push prices higher but face resistance at specific resistance prices.

Triangle patterns are important in predicting future price movements by enabling traders to identify key support and resistance levels. The maximum distance between support and resistance at the beginning of the formation of a triangle pattern establishes the minimum target of the trade. Supports and resistances of a triangle pattern serve as levels for setting stop losses. The triangle pattern has three types, the ascending, descending, and symmetrical triangle patterns. Ascending triangles signal bullish trends and are traded by buying on a breakout above resistance.

Understanding Triangle Patterns:

The effectiveness of triangle patterns will increase with the incorporation of momentum indicators, such as the relative strength index (RSI) or moving average convergence divergence (MACD). The momentum indicators help traders assess whether the market is overbought or oversold, further validating their trading decisions. Next, establish a top horizontal resistance line with at least two swing highs coinciding with the horizontal line. The greater the number there are, the clearer this horizontal line becomes and so will the ascending triangle pattern be considered more reliable. These swing highs do not have to exactly meet the horizontal resistance, but should be seen to be around the zone. Many technical analysts trade the breakout without first taking the time to understand what goes behind the scene.

Learn to trade

Now that we’ve learned how the ascending formation looks, we want to share with you two things that we have learned from trading the bullish triangle. Statistically, upward breakouts are more likely to occur, but downward ones seem to be more reliable. We introduce people to the world of trading currencies, both fiat and crypto, through our non-drowsy educational content and tools. We’re also a community of traders that support each other on our daily trading journey. In this case, we would place entry orders above the upper line (the lower highs) and below the support line. In the chart above, you can see that the buyers are starting to gain strength because they are making higher lows.

An ascending triangle suggests a bullish continuation when the price breaks above resistance, while a descending triangle indicates a bearish continuation when the price breaks below the support. The triangle pattern’s breakout leads to a strong directional move, enabling traders to capitalize on the subsequent price action. Secondly, at least two highs must be in contact with the upper horizontal resistance and two lows with the lower sloping support trendline.

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