Hello, nowadays it's possible to meet people from all over the world who are trading in financial markets. The large amounts of money being exchanged in this global market create a different way of thinking about trading. It's like there's a huge pie, and all traders want to get their piece of it. But in order to make money (get your piece of the pie) in financial markets, you need to correctly guess which way prices will go in the future. Of course, learning about technical and fundamental analysis can help with that. One of the tools that people who start trading in the Forex market need to learn about is Japanese Candlesticks. One of the candlestick patterns is called the "Belt Hold" candlestick, which is what this article is about. We will talk about the following questions in this article:
- What is the Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern?
- What are the main types of the Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern?
- How is the Belt Hold Candlestick pattern formed?
- How to trade with the Belt Hold Candlestick pattern?
Let's walk through these topics one by one.
What Is the Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern
The Belt Hold candlestick pattern is a single-candle formation classified among one-candle patterns. However, for this candle to be considered valid, a well-defined prior trend must be present, either bearish or bullish. Traders who base their decisions on candlestick patterns examine the relationship between this candle and the one immediately before it to assess the strength of the reversal. For this reason, some sources describe it as part of a "two-candle structure," even though the actual signal comes from the final single candle.
It is commonly seen near the last stages of a trend and points to a change in market direction for traders. The body of this candlestick is large, often with little to no shadow, or a very small shadow. When seen on charts, it is considered a sign of a trend reversal. The Belt Hold Candlestick pattern has become an essential part of Japanese candlestick analysis method to understand the structure of price movements and predict future price direction. This candlestick pattern can form in various timeframes, but in higher timeframes, especially on the daily timeframe, it's regarded as more reliable.
Types of Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern
The Belt Hold candlestick emerges in various ways according to the current market trend. If this pattern is assumed to provide a strong reversal signal in the market, it draws attention in both Bear markets and Bull markets. The Belt Hold candlestick pattern has two main types:
- Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick
- Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick
Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern
The Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick shows up after an uptrend and signals that sellers are starting to take over. Even though it's just one candle, it can hint that the market may turn downward. You will usually see it open at the session high and then drop sharply, catching some buyers by surprise. Looking at it alongside the previous candles gives a better idea of how strong the shift might be.
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| Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick |
How Does It Form
The Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick, which is a candlestick pattern that appears during rising trends, is composed of a single candlestick. It usually stands out by providing a distinct reversal signal in the market. This is a type of red (black) Marubozu candle, characterized by a kind of large body, particularly emerging during rising trends, starting from the highest price levels. It's as if there's a movement in the opposite direction of the market trend. This movement concludes with a close near the day's lowest level, creating a small shadow at the bottom of the candlestick. The body of the candlestick indicates stronger resistance against the trend if it is longer in the Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick pattern. In other words, bears are showing strong resistance and not allowing prices to rise further.
How to Trade
Market dynamics change rapidly, and the candlestick starts moving unexpectedly in the opposite direction. This sudden reversal creates concern and indecision among buyers, causing many traders to rapidly close their positions. This situation turns the trend towards a decline and triggers widespread selling pressure. Before entering a trade in the market, we must ensure that the Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick pattern forms at the resistance level of the trend. This will be safer. The immediately following candlestick after the large-bodied red candlestick closes should also be in a downtrend. Now, we can place a Sell order. The Stop Loss level is set as the highest price level the bar has reached. We determine the Take Profit level using different technical tools (Fibonacci retracements, support and resistance lines, etc.). Let's take a look at a live example of the Bearish Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern in the market for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) INC. Stock:
| The Bearish Belt Hold on AMD Inc, stock |
Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern
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| Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick |
Now, let's take a closer look at how this pattern actually forms and what to watch for next.
How Does It Form
This pattern, consisting of a single candlestick, is typically known as the green (white) opening Marubozu pattern observed within a downtrend. Usually, the market opens around the day's lowest level and then initiates a movement in the opposite direction of the overall market trend. This movement closes near the day's highest value, creating a small upper shadow at the top of the candlestick. The bodies indicate reinforced resistance against the trend if they are longer in the Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick pattern. This signals that the bulls in the market are exhibiting stronger resistance against the trend and may indicate a nascent weakening of the downtrend or, at least, a slowdown. The Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern is an effective tool that reflects emotional reactions in the market and predicts a certain trend. Despite implying a decrease at first glance, it draws attention to the prospect for a change or at least a slowdown in the course of the downtrend.
How to Trade
As uncertainty grows in the market, the candlestick starts moving unexpectedly in a different direction. This situation creates concern among traders who have opened selling positions, prompting the rapid closure of many open positions. This, in turn, reverses the trend upwards and initiates a rising wave led by bullish traders. To open a trade in the market, we first wait for the close of a large-bodied green candlestick. If prices surpass the closing level, we can place a Buy order. Usually, we set the Stop Loss level as the lowest point of the last green candlestick. To determine the Take Profit point, we can use various technical tools, including Fibonacci retracement levels, moving averages, support and resistance lines, among others. Let's take a look at a live example of the Bullish Belt Hold Candlestick pattern in the market, specifically on Tesla Inc. stock:
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| The Bullish Belt Hold on Tesla Inc stock |


