How Do I Target a Breakout in a Technical Chart? (2024)

Investors have different methods of deciding when to enterand exit a trade. Those who prefer technical analysis over fundamentals use a variety of technical charts, looking for patternssuch as ascending triangles, head and shoulders and double bottoms. This type of methodology has rapidly grown in popularity among individual investors, but the biggest challenge when using these patterns is deciding when to exit an existing position.

Key Takeaways

  • Traders tend to have an exit strategy in mind for when a trade backfires, but less have a plan for when to exit winning trades.
  • For traders trying to determine when it's time to cash out, constructing and assessing technical charts is an important strategy.
  • Most technical chart patterns are based on the concept of establishing support and resistance for the stock or other security in question and using this information to determine when to enter and exit a position.
  • Popular patterns that traders might track include ascending triangles, head and shoulders and double bottoms.

When to Exit a Trade

Most traders understand the need for an exit strategy when a trade goes against them, but fewer have a plan for winning trades. That's because, on an emotional level, it's easier to see the need to get out when you're at a loss, whereas it's harder to exit a winning position. However, experienced traders are in the habit of developing a profit exit, the price point at which they close their position and pocket their gains. The key to succeeding at this is to choose the correct approach to setting a closing price and stick to it.

Many different targets can be used when using technical chart patterns, but most are based on the concept of support and resistance. While there's no sure way to predict future resistance, chart patterns give you a good starting point for establishing a price target. One ofthe most popular methods involvesmeasuringthe height of the pattern and then either adding it to or subtracting it from the breakout price.

Exit Strategy Example

Let's look at this chart as an example: a trader who is able to identify this ascending triangle will set his or her target near $25. This target price of $25 is calculated by taking the height of the pattern of $2.60 ($22.40 - $19.80) and adding it to the entry price of $22.40.

How Do I Target a Breakout in a Technical Chart? (1)

You can also use the height of the pattern to calculate the target on patternsthat predict a downward trend, such as a head and shoulders pattern.The only difference is that the height is subtracted from the entry price rather than added to it.

Many conservative investors use the height of the pattern to calculate their maximum target but often choose to close out their position earlier, ensuring that they lock in their profits.

Risk management is an essential skill for any trader and setting a stop-loss target is one of the first disciplines experienced traders learn to master. But consistently setting a profit exit is just as important, and chart patterns are useful tools to help you develop a successful trading strategy.

How Do I Target a Breakout in a Technical Chart? (2024)

FAQs

How Do I Target a Breakout in a Technical Chart? ›

Take the height from the resistance line to the support line. Then either add that amount to the resistance line to generate a price target for an upside breakout, OR subtract that amount from the support line to generate a price target for a downside breakout.

What is the best technical indicator for breakout? ›

Indicators such as Moving Averages, RSI and MACD can be used to measure the strength of the breakout. Volume: An important factor to identify a breakout is the trading volumes of the stock. It is essential that the volumes traded should be high on the day of the breakout.

How do you set a target in technical analysis? ›

One of the most common methods of setting a target price is achieved by first identifying a technical chart pattern. After the pattern is identified, price targets can be set by measuring the height of the pattern and then adding it to (or subtracting it from) the breakout price.

How do you find the target for breakout stocks? ›

While there's no sure way to predict future resistance, chart patterns give you a good starting point for establishing a price target. One of the most popular methods involves measuring the height of the pattern and then either adding it to or subtracting it from the breakout price.

How to read stock charts for breakouts? ›

Breakout stocks often have a sudden surge in trading volume, which may indicate growing investor interest. Additionally, keep an eye out for stocks that are breaking through key resistance levels or forming bullish chart patterns, such as the cup-and-handle, ascending triangles or flag patterns.

What technical indicator is the most reliable? ›

The best technical indicators for day trading are the RSI, Williams Percent Range, and MACD. These measurements show overbought and oversold levels on a chart and can help predict where a price is likely to go next, based on past performance.

How do you set a target in a chart? ›

How to Create a Target Line
  1. Input Your Data. Open a new spreadsheet and input your data. ...
  2. Create a Bar Graph. Now, you need to turn your data into a bar graph. ...
  3. Convert Your Target to a Target Line. Once you create the bar graph, you'll have a chart with vertical or horizontal lines for the figures in columns 2 and 3.
Nov 1, 2023

Which breakout pattern is best? ›

1. Ascending triangle. The ascending triangle is a bullish 'continuation' chart pattern that signifies a breakout is likely where the triangle lines converge.

How to spot breakouts before they happen? ›

The first step in trading breakouts is to identify current price trend patterns along with support and resistance levels in order to plan possible entry and exit points. Once you've acted on a breakout strategy, know when to cut your losses and re-assess the situation if the breakout sputters.

How to trade breakouts like a pro? ›

Trading Breakouts Strategy
  1. Find an Asset That Looks Ready to Break Out. The first step is to identify an asset that is consolidating, either in a range or in a chart pattern, like a channel, triangle, wedge, or pennant. ...
  2. Wait for Confirmation of the Breakout and Set Your Order. ...
  3. Set Your Stop Loss. ...
  4. Find Your Profit Target.
Feb 8, 2023

How to see a breakout before it really happens? ›

Observe daily chart for additional patterns. A descending channel should be traded mostly for breakouts, otherwise avoid them. Volume at the breakout should be more than the volume of previous candles.

What is the most accurate breakout indicator? ›

Best Technical Indicators For Trading Breakouts
  • On Balance Volume (OBV) is a momentum indicator that relates volume to price change.
  • Bollinger Bands are a trend indicator that detects the volatility and dynamics of the price on the market. ...
  • Donchian Channel is a useful indicator for measuring volatility in a market.

What tool is used to identify breakout stocks? ›

Bollinger Band breakout stocks

You can also use Bollinger Bands​​, which are a technical indicator for trading strategies, to help identify breakout stocks. On a candlestick chart, Bollinger Bands move with the price, forming an envelope around it.

How to understand breakout? ›

A breakout in stock market occurs when an asset's price crosses over a resistance level or falls below a support level. Breakouts indicate the possibility of a price trending in the breakout direction. For instance, the price may increase if a chart pattern breaks out to the upside.

Which volume indicator is best for breakouts? ›

6 of the Best Volume Indicators
  1. VWAP – Volume-Weighted Average Price. ...
  2. Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) ...
  3. Money Flow Index (MFI) ...
  4. Accumulation and distribution indicator (A/D) ...
  5. Klinger Oscillator. ...
  6. On Balance Volume (OBV)
May 1, 2024

What is the best confirmation of a breakout? ›

Volume. One of the most important breakout indicators to use is volume. In most periods, a breakout is confirmed when there is higher volume and vice versa.

Which breakout strategy is best? ›

Breakout Trading Strategies
  1. Opening Range Breakout. The Opening Range Breakout (ORB) tactic capitalizes on the market's early momentum. ...
  2. Momentum Breakout. ...
  3. Support and Resistance Breakout. ...
  4. Trendline Breakout. ...
  5. Volatility Breakout. ...
  6. Price Channel Breakout. ...
  7. Breakout Pullback. ...
  8. False Breakout.
May 1, 2024

What are the indicators for a fake breakout? ›

Indicators such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI), MACD , and Bollinger Bands can help traders identify potential fake breakouts. For example, when the RSI is in the overbought zone, and a price breakout occurs, it may indicate a fake out, and a reversal is likely to occur.

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