Wick (shadow)

In practice

A hammer candle has a tiny body at the top and a long lower wick twice its size — price fell far during the period but buyers pushed it back up to close near the high. That long lower wick is the visual signature of rejection at a low.

Why it matters for traders

Wicks reveal where price was rejected, which is often more informative than where it closed, because it marks the level real orders defended or attacked. A long wick at support or resistance is one of the most reliable hints that the level held — and that the next move may go the other way.

Common pitfall

The pitfall is dismissing wicks as visual noise. A long wick at a tested level is often the most important information on the candle — evidence that real orders defended or attacked it. Traders who only watch closes miss the rejection that preceded them. Always read wicks at key levels for what they are: footprints of order flow, which frequently warn of a turn before any closing pattern confirms it.

Lessons that use this term

• What a single candle shows

  Open, high, low, close, body and wick — the four prices packed into one shape.

Related terms