Morning Star and Evening Star
The morning star and evening star are three candle reversal patterns. Learn their structure, what each candle shows, how to confirm them and how to trade them.
The morning star and the evening star are three candle reversal patterns. A morning star appears after a decline and signals a possible turn higher. An evening star appears after a rise and signals a possible turn lower. Each tells a three part story: strong movement in the trend's direction, a pause of indecision, then a strong move the other way.
The three candles of a morning star#
| Candle | Morning star | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A large red candle | Sellers firmly in control |
| 2 | A small body (often a doji or spinning top), ideally gapping lower | Selling pressure stalls; indecision |
| 3 | A large green candle closing well into the body of candle 1, ideally above its midpoint | Buyers take control |
The evening star is the mirror image: a large green candle, a small star at the top, then a large red candle closing well into the first candle's body.
Why the pattern works#
The first candle confirms the existing trend. The second candle's small body shows the trend's momentum has stopped: the side in control could not push further. The third candle shows the other side has taken over decisively. Because confirmation is built into the third candle, many traders consider stars more reliable than single candle patterns.
Variations#
- Morning doji star / evening doji star: the middle candle is a doji, showing even sharper indecision.
- Abandoned baby: the middle candle gaps away from both neighbours entirely, a rare and strong version.
- In 24 hour markets, gaps between candles rarely occur, so traders focus on the sizes of the candles and where candle 3 closes.
Strength checklist#
- A clear trend before the pattern.
- Location at support (morning star) or resistance (evening star).
- A small middle candle relative to the first and third.
- Candle 3 closes beyond the midpoint of candle 1's body; closing beyond its open is stronger.
- Higher volume on candle 3.
Trading the pattern#
- Entry: at the close of the third candle or on the next candle's break of its extreme.
- Stop: beyond the extreme of the middle candle, the lowest low of a morning star or highest high of an evening star.
- Target: the next opposing level; check the reward against the often wide stop.
Using a lower timeframe for timing#
Because the stop for a star pattern sits beyond the middle candle, it can be wide on a daily chart. Some traders drop to a 1 hour or 4 hour chart during the third candle and enter when the lower timeframe breaks its last swing in the new direction, which can allow a tighter stop. See Multi-Timeframe Analysis.
Common mistakes#
- Accepting a weak third candle that barely moves into the first candle's body.
- Ignoring the prior trend: a star needs a trend to reverse.
- Trading stars in the middle of ranges.
Frequently asked questions#
What is a morning star pattern?#
A three candle bullish reversal pattern after a decline: a large red candle, a small indecision candle, then a large green candle closing well into the first candle's body.
Is the evening star bearish?#
Yes. It is the bearish counterpart, forming after a rise and signalling a possible reversal lower.
How reliable are star patterns?#
They are among the more reliable candlestick patterns because the third candle provides confirmation, especially at key levels on higher timeframes.
Next, learn a three candle continuation of strength: Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows.
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