How to Read a Belt Hold Candlestick
A candle that opens at its high or low and then runs hard the other way for the rest of the session.
CANDLESTICK PATTERNS
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1-candle pattern · Reversal
A belt hold opens at (or very near) its high or low for the period and then moves strongly in one direction for the rest of the session, leaving little or no wick on the opening side. A bullish belt hold opens at the low and rallies from there; a bearish belt hold opens at the high and sells off from there.
The pattern signals a decisive shift in control right from the opening bell — there’s no back-and-forth, just sustained pressure in one direction for the whole period. It’s read the same way whether it appears after a downtrend (bullish belt hold) or an uptrend (bearish belt hold): a sudden, one-sided session that can mark the start of a reversal.
Related patterns
This article is educational only and isn’t a recommendation to trade any particular instrument or pattern — no candlestick pattern works in isolation. See the full candlestick guide for how patterns like this one fit into a broader approach.