Candle Bodies and Wicks

"Tags: candle body, upper wick, lower wick, price rejection Prerequisites: green-and-red-candles Bodies show net progress. Wicks show where price travelled but could not hold. Questions this article answers What does body size tell us? What do long upper and lower wicks show? What is a small-body candle? Why must wick interpretation remain contextual? 1. Body size The body measures the distance between open and close. A wide body shows substantial net movement during the period. A narrow body shows that the period ended close to where it began. Body size should be compared with recent candles and normal volatility. 2. Large body with small wicks A large body with small wicks means price moved strongly from open toward close and retained most of that movement. This can describe directional control during the period. It does not prove that the move is early, sustainable or safe to chase. 3. Small body A small body means the opening and closing prices were close. This can reflect balance, hesitation or a lack of net progress. It should not automatically be called indecision without examining the surrounding trend and range. 4. Long upper wick A long upper wick shows that price traded significantly above the body but later moved down before the period ended. It records an inability to maintain the highest prices during that candle. Possible reasons include profit-taking, new supply, resistance or simple volatility. The candle does not reveal the exact cause. 5. Long lower wick A long lower wick shows that price traded significantly below the body but recovered before the period ended. It records an inability to maintain the lowest prices during that candle. Possible reasons include demand, short covering, support or volatility. 6. Long wicks on both sides Long upper and lower wicks with a small body show that price explored both directions but finished near the open. This may indicate unstable two-sided trade. It can appear near turning points, inside ranges or during news-driven volatility. 7. No wick or very small wick A candle with little or no wick on one side shows that the open or close was near an extreme. A close near the high can show retained strength. A close near the low can show retained weakness. Again, this is descriptive, not predictive. 8. Wicks are not exact support or resistance by themselves One wick may be caused by a brief transaction or thin liquidity. A level becomes more meaningful when it aligns with broader structure, repeated reactions or significant trading activity. Treat wick levels as evidence, not absolute walls. 9. Relative wick analysis A Rs 5 wick may be enormous for a low-volatility stock and insignificant for a highly volatile stock. Evaluate wick length relative to the candle range, recent price behaviour and percentage movement. 10. Wick clusters Several upper wicks near the same area can show repeated difficulty holding higher prices. Several lower wicks near the same area can show repeated recovery from lower prices. A cluster is usually more informative than a single wick, but it can still fail. 11. Common beginner mistakes Calling every long wick a reversal Wicks can occur inside trends without ending them. Drawing an exact line at every wick Support and resistance are often zones. Ignoring candle range A wick should be judged relative to the entire candle. Assuming the wick reveals the reason It shows price movement, not the motivation of every participant. Ignoring liquidity Thin trading can create exaggerated wicks. 12. DStreet principle A wick shows a test. Structure tells you whether that test matters. 13. Beginner checklist The body shows open-to-close movement. A large body shows substantial net progress. A small body shows limited net progress. An upper wick reaches toward the high. A lower wick reaches toward the low. Wicks describe failed retention of an extreme during that period. Repeated reactions are usually more meaningful than one wick. 14. Quick knowledge check Question: What does a large candle body show? Answer: A large distance between open and close. Question: What does a long upper wick record? Answer: Price traded higher but did not maintain the highest level into the close. Question: Does one long wick prove reversal? Answer: No. Question: Why should wick length be evaluated relatively? Answer: Stocks and timeframes have different normal volatility. 15. Next lesson Swing Highs and Swing Lows. The next article moves from individual candles to the turning points that form chart structure."