What it looks like
Two up candles in a rise, the second closing at the same price as the first (within a few points on US30). The second often has a smaller body. It is the closes that match, not the highs.
What it means
Buyers pushed again but could not close any higher than last time. Buyers had been in control and have hesitated here. It is one of the gentler signals: a hint the rise is tiring and no more than that.
How to trade it
- 1
Do not trade it on its own.
- 2
Confirm: wait for a candle that closes below the pattern's low.
- 3
Enter: sell on that close, stop just above the pattern's high.
- 4
Target: 2 times the stop, or the nearest swing low.
- 5
Example: on US30 1 hour two up candles close at the same price after a rise, with a 70 point pattern range. A later candle closes below the low; you sell with a 75 point stop and aim 150 points lower.
A close above the pattern's high.
Where it works best
At a ceiling that already mattered after a clear rise.
WickSpeak finds the matching high automatically on any chart and names it on the candles that made it. Next to the name it writes what the pattern is, how to trade it and what proves it wrong, so you never have to guess the rule. In Playbook you can use the matching high, or any of the 146 patterns, as a condition alongside up to 12 conditions on any of 12 timeframes, then backtest it on past candles with your costs.
Common mistakes
- Selling while the candles are still green.
- Mixing it up with a tweezer top, which matches highs.
- Fighting a strong rise with no ceiling nearby.
Related patterns
Questions traders ask
Is a matching high bearish?
Mildly. It shows buyers could not close higher, but it needs a close below the pattern's low before trading.
How is it different from a tweezer top?
A matching high has two up candles with the same close. A tweezer top is an up candle then a down candle with the same high.
How exact do the closes need to be?
Very close, typically within a few points on US30 or about a point on gold.
What cancels a matching high?
A close above the pattern's high.