Head & Shoulders

Head & shoulders

In technical analysis, a pattern that results where a stock price reaches a peak and declines; rises above its former peak and again declines; and rises a third time but not to the second peak, and then again declines. The first and third peaks are shoulders, while the second peak is the formation's head. Technical analysts generally consider a head and shoulders formation to be a very bearish indication, especially if the market descends more than 3% below the neckline.

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Head and Shoulders

In technical analysis, an indicator in which the price of a security rises to a peak, falls, rises to a higher peak and then falls again, and, finally, rises to a third peak roughly equal to the first and falls again. While, in general, a head and shoulders pattern is considered a bearish indicator, it contains various bullish points, namely immediately before the price rises. These bullish points are called the neckline. When technical analysts see a security falling toward the neckline, they view this as a buy signal because historical patterns have shown that the security's price will rise soon thereafter. On the other hand, the third peak is considered a sell signal.