Evening Star candlestick pattern
A three-candle top: a large bullish candle, a small-bodied candle that gaps higher, then a large bearish candle that closes well into the first candle's body.
Illustrative shape. Real patterns vary in proportion.
How to identify a Evening Star
- Appears after a rally
- Candle 1: large bullish body
- Candle 2: small body (either color) that gaps above candle 1
- Candle 3: large bearish body closing below the midpoint of candle 1
What the Evening Star tells you
Day one is strong, day two shows hesitation at the highs, and day three confirms sellers have taken over. The star in the middle marks the point where momentum died.
How traders use it
Traders commonly act on the third candle's close with a stop above the middle candle's high. Higher volume on the third candle adds conviction.
Before taking any pattern-based trade, decide your stop first and size the position from it with the position size calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Evening Star bullish or bearish? +
The Evening Star is a bearish reversal pattern. A three-candle top: a large bullish candle, a small-bodied candle that gaps higher, then a large bearish candle that closes well into the first candle's body.
How reliable is the Evening Star? +
No candlestick pattern works every time. Patterns are more reliable when they form at a meaningful level (support, resistance, a moving average), after a clear trend, on higher volume, and when the next candle confirms them.
Do I need confirmation to trade the Evening Star? +
Most traders want it. Waiting for the next candle to move in the expected direction filters out many false signals, at the cost of a slightly worse entry price.
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