How to trade Head & Shoulder

We are going to look at the head and shoulders pattern. Once we have a sound understanding of how to spot these patterns we will then look at a specific strategy for trading these patterns when they appear on a chart.

A Head and Shoulders pattern is defined by one peak, followed by a higher peak, which is then followed by a lower peak, and finally a break below the support level established by the two troughs formed by the pattern. Head As you can see from the above chart a head and shoulders pattern is basically showing the buyers trying 3 times unsuccessfully to take the market higher before finally giving way to the sellers who theoretically retain control after the 3rd failure. The head and shoulders pattern is thus seen as a potential reversal pattern and day traders will pay special attention to this pattern when it occurs on an uptrend, and will look to trade a potential reversal of the uptrend should the pattern play out. For further confirmation that the potential for a reversal is high traders often give more credibility to a falling neckline than they do a rising neckline.

You should now have a good understanding of Head and Shoulders Patterns. In below chart we are going to look at a specific strategy which traders commonly use to trade the head and shoulders and how to determine exact entry and exit points.












Upon the break of the neckline support level the pattern is said to be in place so this is where traders will commonly look to enter a short position. Their target will be calculated by measuring the distance from the head of the pattern down to the neckline and then projecting that distance downward from the breakpoint of the neckline. The stop will then be placed just above the right hand shoulder of the pattern which is considered resistance. The idea here is that once the neckline support has been broken sellers will theoretically remain in control but if this does not happen then you are protected with a stop loss just above the nearest resistance level.

For confirmation, traders will commonly look for a downward sloping neckline before entering a trade on the break of a head and shoulders pattern as indication of reversing trend.

Secondly traders like to see the volume on the second peak (trough with a reverse head and shoulders) be lower than the volume on the first, and the volume o the third peak (trough in a reverse head and shoulders) be lower than the volume on the second peak as this is further confirmation that the trend is ready to reverse. Lastly they will look for increasing volume on the break of the neckline to show that the break is real.