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's Congestion Quiz

This article is a quiz designed to test your knowledge of breakouts.

Two ascending triangles on the daily scale

Look at the chart of two fictitious ascending triangles on the daily scale. The triangle is outlined in blue with a horizontal top trendline and an up-sloping bottom trendline. Both A and B show upward breakouts but there is a difference between the two charts.

Which setup (A or B) represents the best trading opportunity?

The difference, if you didn't find it, is in the five days leading to the breakout. In A, price makes a straight-line run but in B, price runs into a congestion area in the five days before the breakout.

I proved in a study that the differences between trading a chart pattern with a straight-line run (A) and a congestion area (B) is not huge. In the straight-line run, on average, the rise after the breakout will be further, but the risk of failure increases, too. Throwbacks will occur more often and that is usually a bad thing.

When looking for chart patterns, trade those with a congestion area forming just before the breakout. If a straight-line run appears, then consider waiting for a throwback to occur and complete. Once price starts moving up again, then enter the trade.

-- Thomas Bulkowski

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