As of 03/18/2024
  Indus: 38,790 +75.66 +0.2%  
  Trans: 15,418 -81.05 -0.5%  
  Utils: 853 +3.06 +0.4%  
  Nasdaq: 16,103 +130.28 +0.8%  
  S&P 500: 5,149 +32.33 +0.6%  
YTD
 +2.9%  
-3.0%  
-3.2%  
 +7.3%  
 +8.0%  
  Targets    Overview: 03/13/2024  
  Down arrow38,000 or 39,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow16,300 or 15,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow885 or 830 by 04/01/2024
  Down arrow15,200 or 16,600 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow5,250 or 5,000 by 04/01/2024
As of 03/18/2024
  Indus: 38,790 +75.66 +0.2%  
  Trans: 15,418 -81.05 -0.5%  
  Utils: 853 +3.06 +0.4%  
  Nasdaq: 16,103 +130.28 +0.8%  
  S&P 500: 5,149 +32.33 +0.6%  
YTD
 +2.9%  
-3.0%  
-3.2%  
 +7.3%  
 +8.0%  
  Targets    Overview: 03/13/2024  
  Down arrow38,000 or 39,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow16,300 or 15,350 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow885 or 830 by 04/01/2024
  Down arrow15,200 or 16,600 by 04/01/2024
  Up arrow5,250 or 5,000 by 04/01/2024

Bulkowski on the Best Chart Patterns

Note as of 9/20/21: The following statistics have not been updated with more recent information, so they are outdated. This page provides a ranking of patterns, sorted by various means (performance, failure rate, performance over the decades) but not like the list below. However, the pages at the link have been updated recently.

 Pattern: Up Breakouts  1 Month
Gain 
 2 Month
Gain 
 3 Month
Gain 
High and tight flags22%21%21%
Eve & Eve double bottom9%12%13%
Scallop, ascending and inverted11%12%13%
Rectangle Bottom8%11%14%
Adam & Adam double bottom7%10%12%
Adam & Eve double bottom7%10%10%
Eve & Adam double bottom7%10%14%
Falling wedge8%10%9%
Rounded top7%10%14%
Flag8%9%7%
 Pattern: Down Breakouts  1 Month
Loss 
 2 Month
Loss 
 3 Month
Loss 
Complex head-and-shoulders top-8%-10%-10%
Head-and-shoulders top-7%-8%-7%
Diamond top-8%-7%-6%
Diamond bottom-10%-5%-4%
Scallop, descending-6%-5%-4%
Adam & Adam double top-6%-4%-3%
Right-angled and descending broadening formation-5%-4%0%
Rounded top-6%-4%-4%
Scallop, descending and inverted-4%-4%-4%
Triangle, descending-5%-4%-3%

The table shows the best performing chart patterns for upward breakouts (top half) and downward breakouts (bottom half), sorted by the 2 month's performance column.

I scanned my database of chart patterns (the popular ones) and found over 30,000 samples. Then I measured the price move 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after the breakout. However, I show only a maximum of 3 months in the table.

This measurement technique is different than the one I used in my books. There, I measured the move assuming a perfect trade, from breakout to ultimate high or low (after which price dropped or rose by at least 20%).

This table is just another way of slicing the same information. However, it does contain surprises.

Notice that the cup with handle doesn't appear in the list. That's because performance is poor -- it ranked 11th, so it didn't make the top 10.

Click on the associated link for more information about a chart pattern.

-- Thomas Bulkowski. Donate now to keep this website free.

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Sad case: two dozen empties.Smiley