Trading Tactic |
Explanation |
Measure rule |
Compute the height from the highest peak (point A in the
figure to the right) to the lowest valley (B) in the pattern then multiply it by
the above “percentage meeting price target.”
Add the result to the breakout price (the highest peak in the pattern, A) to get
the target (C). |
Price reversal |
Price must have something
to reverse, so if the decline leading to the double bottom is small, expect a small
rise. |
Big W |
Look for a double bottom with a
tall left side, one with a steep decline and few or no price consolidations along
the way. Expect price to return to near
where the downtrend began. |
Confirmation |
Wait for confirmation – price
to close above the peak between the valleys (point A in the measure rule figure to
the right). If you don’t wait, there’s
a 64% chance that price will continue
lower without confirming the double bottom. |
Handle |
Sometimes price will confirm the
double bottom then waffle up and down, forming a handle. When price breaks out of
this region, it often moves up in a strong trend. The figure to the right
shows a handle. |
Flat base |
Expect a large rise if the double
bottom appears after a long, flat base. Use the weekly scale to find the flat base
– the double bottom will look like a pothole in a road. The figure to the
right shows an example. |
Trends |
A long-term decline leading to the
double bottom results in the best postbreakout performance. |
Yearly low |
Double bottoms within a third of
the yearly low perform best. |
Volume trend |
A downward volume trend suggests
good postbreakout performance. |
Shelf |
When a horizontal shelf appears on the right bottom (see the figure to
the right), swing traders should buy in and exit if price stalls near the confirmation point (the
peak between the two bottoms). The shelf becomes a support zone which lowers the risk of a failed
trade. |
Throwbacks |
Throwbacks hurt postbreakout performance. |