Wicks and bodies: what do they actually tell you?

The body shows where the session opened and closed; the wicks show how far price travelled and was rejected. Long wicks at levels tell a rejection story, but beginners often read them as certainty.

Wicks and bodies: what do they actually tell you? — support and resistance diagram
Price bouncing between support and resistance

How do you use them?

  • what a long lower wick at support means to you
  • how wick size shapes your stop placement
  • the wick pattern that tricked you most
Wicks and bodies: what do they actually tell you? — candlestick anatomy diagram
The parts of a candlestick: wick, body, open and close

The candlestick guide decodes each part of the candle.

Background: How to read candlestick charts

Candlesticks pack four prices into one shape. How to read the body and wicks, what timeframes mean and why single patterns are weaker than they look.

What do the wicks on a candlestick mean?

The wicks show the highest and lowest prices reached during the period. A long wick shows that the price moved there but was pushed back before the candle closed.

Are candlestick patterns reliable?

Not on their own. They are more meaningful at important price levels and on higher timeframes, and they should be combined with a clear plan for risk.

Read the full guide

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