As of 02/04/2026   Indus: 49,501 +260.31 +0.5%     Trans: 19,716 +456.23 +2.4%     Utils: 1,083 -5.07 -0.5%     Nasdaq: 22,905 -350.61 -1.5%     S&P 500: 6,883 -35.09 -0.5%	YTD  +3.0%    +13.6%    +1.4%   -1.5%    +0.5%	Targets    Overview: 02/02/2026     50,500 or 48,000 by 02/15/2026   20,000 or 18,000 by 02/15/2026   1,135 or 1,050 by 02/15/2026   24,750 or 22,000 by 02/15/2026   7,250 or 6,700 by 02/15/2026
Chart Pattern Indicator: on 2/4/26

As of 02/04/2026   Indus: 49,501 +260.31 +0.5%     Trans: 19,716 +456.23 +2.4%     Utils: 1,083 -5.07 -0.5%     Nasdaq: 22,905 -350.61 -1.5%     S&P 500: 6,883 -35.09 -0.5%	YTD  +3.0%    +13.6%    +1.4%   -1.5%    +0.5%
Targets    Overview: 02/02/2026     50,500 or 48,000 by 02/15/2026   20,000 or 18,000 by 02/15/2026   1,135 or 1,050 by 02/15/2026   24,750 or 22,000 by 02/15/2026   7,250 or 6,700 by 02/15/2026
Chart Pattern Indicator: on 2/4/26

Bulkowski's Congestion Quiz

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

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

More

See Also

• How to pick stocks, part 1.
• 3 tips to help you pick stocks.
• Busted chart patterns. The answer to profits?
• Premature buying. Learn how to prevent buying too soon.
• Double bottoms, overview. Article explains the 4 varieties.
• Adam and Eve patterns. What are they and how can they help?

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