In candlestick analysis — the Spinning Top and Marubozu represent two extremes.
The Doji shows indecision with almost no body.
The Spinning Top shows indecision with a small body.
The Marubozu shows pure momentum with no wicks at all.
Understanding these two patterns completes your foundation in reading individual candles.
Structure:
What it tells you:
Both buyers AND sellers were active and aggressive during this period. Price swung significantly in both directions. But at the close — neither side had gained meaningful ground.
How it differs from a Doji:
A Doji has virtually no body — open and close almost identical.
A Spinning Top has a small but visible body — one side won slightly but not decisively.
Both signal indecision — but the Spinning Top shows more activity and volatility during the period.
What it means in context:
After an uptrend:
Buyers tried to push higher — sellers fought back. Buyers tried again — sellers fought again. Neither dominated. The uptrend may be losing momentum.
After a downtrend:
Sellers tried to push lower — buyers fought back. Sellers tried again — buyers resisted. Neither won. Selling pressure may be exhausting.
In a sideways market:
Normal. Shows continued indecision within the range.
Trading Spinning Top:
Unlike Doji — Spinning Top alone is rarely traded as a signal.
Use it as context — a warning that momentum is uncertain.
Wait for the next strong directional candle to confirm direction.
Most useful when:
Structure:
Bullish Marubozu:
Opens at the low. Closes at the high.
Buyers controlled the entire period from the very first moment.
Not a single moment of weakness — no wick at all.
Bearish Marubozu:
Opens at the high. Closes at the low.
Sellers controlled the entire period completely.
Total domination — no relief for buyers at any point.
What it tells you:
One side was so dominant that the opposing side had absolutely no opportunity to push back. This is not a close battle — this is a rout.
Bullish Marubozu signals:
Bearish Marubozu signals:
Bullish Marubozu — entry options:
Option 1 — Aggressive:
Enter on close of Marubozu candle.
Catch the momentum immediately.
Risk: buying after a large move — pullback possible.
Option 2 — Conservative:
Wait for a small pullback after the Marubozu.
Enter when pullback stabilizes.
Better risk to reward but might miss the move.
Stop loss: Below the low of the Marubozu.
Target: Next significant resistance level.
Bearish Marubozu — entry options:
Mirror of above — enter short, stop above high, target next support.
The most powerful Marubozu setups occur after periods of consolidation.
Price moves sideways for days — building energy. Then a Marubozu breaks out decisively in one direction.
This combination — consolidation followed by Marubozu — is a high probability breakout signal.
A Bullish Marubozu breaking above resistance on high volume after consolidation is one of the strongest buy signals in technical analysis.
You now understand the full spectrum of candles:
| Pattern | Body | Wicks | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marubozu | Large | None | Pure momentum |
| Strong trend candle | Large | Small | Strong momentum |
| Hammer/Shooting Star | Small | One long | Rejection |
| Spinning Top | Small | Both long | Indecision |
| Doji | None | Both | Pure indecision |
In the next topic we will begin studying chart patterns — starting with the most famous pattern in all of technical analysis — Head and Shoulders.