How to Read a Kicker Pattern
A candle followed by one that gaps sharply the other way with no overlap at all -- one of the more forceful reversal signals.
CANDLESTICK PATTERNS
← Back to the full guide: How to Read Candlestick Patterns
2-candle pattern · Strong reversal
A kicker pattern is a candle followed by one that gaps sharply in the opposite direction and never overlaps the first candle’s range at all — the two candles look like they belong to entirely different price zones. A bullish kicker gaps up from a bearish candle; a bearish kicker gaps down from a bullish one.
Because there’s a genuine gap rather than just an overlapping engulf, a kicker is generally read as one of the more forceful reversal signals, often tied to a sudden shift in news or sentiment rather than gradual technical exhaustion. The size of the gap and whether it holds (rather than being immediately filled) both matter to how much weight traders put on it.
Related patterns
- How to Read a Belt Hold Candlestick
- How to Read a Marubozu Candle
- How to Read a Bullish Engulfing Pattern
- How to Read a Bearish Engulfing Pattern
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.