What is the descending triangle pattern?
The descending triangle is a bearish continuation pattern. A flat floor with lower highs pressing down onto it. Rallies die earlier each time.
How to spot a descending triangle
- 1Draw a flat line across lows that keep stopping at the same level.
- 2Draw a falling line over the highs: each rally ends lower.
- 3Watch for a close below the flat floor.
How does the descending triangle form?
Lower highs press down toward a flat floor. Rallies fade earlier each time while the lows hold level.
How do you confirm a descending triangle?
The floor looks solid right up until it isn't. What tells you it is weakening is the shrinking distance each bounce covers.
When does the descending triangle fail?
A well-known floor attracts buyers as much as sellers; these break upward often enough that the shape alone decides nothing.
No chart pattern works every time. The examples on this page were chosen because they show the pattern clearly, and in real markets patterns fail often.
Practice on real charts
3 real examples of the descending triangle, cut off where the pattern completed. Make your call, then see what happened.
The shaded area is a descending triangle. Where did price go next?
Descending Triangle: common questions
Is the descending triangle bullish or bearish?
The descending triangle is bearish. The floor looks solid right up until the moment it isn't.
How do you spot a descending triangle?
Draw a flat line across lows that keep stopping at the same level. Draw a falling line over the highs: each rally ends lower. Watch for a close below the flat floor.
What is the difference between the descending triangle and the ascending triangle?
The descending triangle: A flat floor with lower highs pressing down onto it. Rallies die earlier each time. The ascending triangle: A flat ceiling with higher lows pressing into it. Each pullback is shallower than the last.
How reliable is the descending triangle?
No chart pattern works every time. A well-known floor attracts buyers as much as sellers; these break upward often enough that the shape alone decides nothing. That is why it helps to wait for confirmation and to practice on many real examples before relying on it.
How can I practice spotting the descending triangle?
Use the real charts on this page: each one stops where the descending triangle completed, so you can make a call and then see what happened. The free Chartle app mixes the descending triangle in with 48 other patterns in short daily sessions.
Keep learning
- Chart pattern gameGuess where price goes next on real charts, all 49 patterns mixed.
- All 49 chart patternsEvery bullish and bearish pattern, with a printable cheat sheet.
- How to read candlestick chartsBodies, wicks and colors explained from the start.
- Cheat sheet PDFAll patterns on two printable pages.
