What it looks like
Five swing points. Unlike most harmonics, B does not stay inside the first leg: it overshoots its starting point. The final leg then snaps back so that D sits at 88 to 113% of the whole move, which places it around the earlier extreme. Bullish: D is a low. Bearish: D is a high. Because the range is wide, D is treated as a zone.
What it means
The swings have reached the point where the Shark says the move should end, known as point D. It is a forecast made from proportions, not a sign that price has turned. Harmonic traders believe moves often stall at these Fibonacci proportions because many orders and profit targets gather there. Point D gives a precise place to act and a tight place to be proved wrong, which is the appeal of the pattern.
Bullish and bearish versions
How to trade it
- 1
Label X, A, B, C and D and check the ratios fit the Shark.
- 2
Confirmation (optional but common): a candle that turns at D, such as a close back up from D for the bullish version.
- 3
Entry: buy near D for the bullish version, sell near D for the bearish.
- 4
Stop: just beyond D. Example on gold (bullish): the last leg falls from 4,060 into a D zone ending at 3,990. Buy near 3,991 with a stop at 3,982, a 9 point risk. The last leg is 70 points, so targets are about 4,017 (38%) and 4,033 (62%).
- 5
Targets: 38% and then 62% of the last leg (C to D), measured back from D.
A close beyond D: below D for the bullish version, above D for the bearish version.
Where it works best
On 1 hour to daily charts in volatile markets such as gold and NAS100, where overshooting swings are common.
WickSpeak finds bullish and bearish Shark patterns automatically, measures the ratios for you and names the pattern on the candles that made it. The note says what it is, how to trade it near D and that a close beyond D proves it wrong. In Playbook you can use it as a condition in a play, alone or alongside other patterns and indicators (any of the 146 patterns can be a condition), and backtest it on past candles with your own costs.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the textbook Gartley shape; the Shark's overshooting B looks messy by comparison.
- Treating the whole 88 to 113% zone as one price and getting stopped inside the zone.
- Skipping the turning candle, which matters more when D is a zone.
Related patterns
Questions traders ask
What makes the Shark different from other harmonics?
B overshoots the start of the first leg instead of staying inside it, and D completes at 88 to 113% of the whole move.
Is the Shark pattern bullish or bearish?
Both versions exist. A bullish Shark completes at a low and is bought; a bearish Shark completes at a high and is sold.
What proves a Shark wrong?
A close beyond D, below it for the bullish version and above it for the bearish version.
Are harmonic patterns reliable?
A harmonic pattern is a forecast made from proportions, not a sign that price has turned. That is why many traders wait for a candle to turn at D before entering. We do not quote win rates; backtest the pattern on your own market first.