In today’s blog, we will discuss the Bullish Harami candlestick pattern, a powerful tool in technical analysis. Despite its Japanese name, it holds great significance in the Indian stock market. With a success rate of 70-80%, this pattern frequently appears on charts, making it essential to understand its basics.
The Bullish Harami pattern can potentially reverse a downtrend and initiate an uptrend. To identify this pattern, we first observe a prevailing downtrend on the charts. Following the downtrend, we notice a bearish candle with a substantial body and visible shadows at the top and bottom. This bearish candle signifies the continuation of the downtrend.
However, the true power of the Bullish Harami lies in the subsequent candlestick. It appears as a small bullish candle, completely contained within the body of the previous bearish candle. This resemblance to a pregnant woman gives the pattern its unique name. The Bullish Harami indicates a potential trend reversal, as buying pressure starts to outweigh selling pressure.
While the concept we discussed earlier focuses on smaller time frames like 5, 10, 15 minutes, or even 1 hour, it is important to note that the significance of this pattern increases with larger time frames such as daily or weekly charts. On these longer time frames, the Bullish Harami pattern holds greater reliability.
The pattern starts with a red bearish candle, indicating a downtrend. The second candle, which is green or bullish, begins at the same closing point as the previous candle. This characteristic is especially relevant in shorter time frames like intraday trading. However, on daily or weekly charts, the second candle may display a gap-up opening from the closing point of the bearish candle, but still exhibit a bullish trend and a gap-up closing.
The crucial aspect to consider is the 50% rule, where the body of the second candle covers at least 50% of the first candle’s body. The pattern confirms its validity when the high of the third bullish candle is breached. At this point, traders can consider entering a buy position, placing the low of the first bearish candle as a stop-loss.
It’s important to remember that while the Bullish Harami pattern primarily consists of two candles, the second candle can also appear as a bullish doji, as long as it is followed by a bullish candle. This variation does not alter the pattern’s significance.

While smaller time frames provide immediate trading opportunities, longer time frames offer a more reliable and robust interpretation of the Bullish Harami pattern. By analyzing daily or weekly charts, traders can better assess the market conditions and potentially benefit from the Bullish Harami’s ability to mark trend reversals.
The Bullish Harami pattern consists of two candles, the mother candle (the first candle) and the baby candle (the second candle). The mother candle is a bearish candle, while the baby candle is a bullish candle. The important rule to remember is that the body of the baby candle should be entirely contained within the body of the mother candle. This means the baby candle should not exceed the size of the mother candle. Generally, if the body of the baby candle covers around 50% or more of the mother candle’s body, it is considered a valid Bullish Harami pattern.
Confirmation is crucial when trading this pattern. Despite the 50% rule, it is essential to wait for confirmation before entering a trade. Confirmation can be achieved by observing the subsequent candle’s price action. If the high of the third candle breaks above the high of the Bullish Harami pattern, it provides additional confirmation of a potential trend reversal and can serve as a signal to enter a buy position.
It is worth noting that there can be variations in the opening of the next candle depending on the time frame being analyzed. While intraday charts typically display the opening of the second candle at the closing point of the first candle, daily, weekly, or monthly charts might show a gap-up or gap-down opening. It is important to consider these variations and adapt the interpretation of the pattern accordingly.
To provide a practical example, let’s consider a 5-minute chart of ICICI Bank. In a downtrend, we observe a bearish candle followed by a bullish Harami pattern. It is crucial to differentiate the Bullish Harami pattern from a hammer candle. Unlike a hammer, which requires an unbreakable low in a downtrend, the Bullish Harami pattern focuses on the containment of the baby candle within the mother candle’s body.
The Piercing Candle pattern is another powerful tool in technical analysis. Although it shares similarities with the Bullish Harami, there are slight differences in its criteria.
The Piercing Candle pattern occurs during a downtrend and consists of two candles. The first candle is a bearish candle, indicating the continuation of the downtrend. The second candle is a bullish candle that opens below the low of the previous bearish candle but closes at least halfway up the body of the first candle. This means that the bullish candle pierces through the body of the bearish candle, hence the name “Piercing Candle.”
The pattern signifies a potential reversal in the downtrend as buying pressure increases, leading to the bullish candle’s upward movement. However, it is crucial to note that confirmation is essential when trading the Piercing Candle pattern. Traders should wait for further bullish confirmation in the form of a breakout above the high of the Piercing Candle.
To illustrate its application, let’s consider an example on a 5-minute chart of Biocon. During a downtrend, we observe a bearish candle followed by a Piercing Candle pattern. In this case, there is no shadow on the bearish candle, and the bullish candle’s body covers less than 50% of the bearish candle’s body. Once the bullish candle breaks out, traders can consider entering a buy position.
It is important to remember that the Piercing Candle pattern can be effective in various time frames and not limited to specific indices like Nifty or Bank Nifty. Traders can manually search for stocks displaying this pattern and evaluate its potential for a trend reversal.
In a downtrend, the market experiences a continuous decline in prices due to high supply and selling pressure. This downward movement is characterized by the dominance of bearish candles, which represent periods when the market closes lower than it opened. Traders and retail clients who enter the market during a downtrend often find themselves trapped in losing positions.
As the downtrend persists, the market establishes new lows, with each subsequent candle breaking the previous candle’s low. This prompts the trapped buyers to exit their positions and sell, further increasing the selling pressure. However, at a certain point, a buyer emerges who is willing to absorb the selling pressure and create a demand zone. This buyer’s entry results in a bullish candle that covers around 50-70% of the preceding bearish candle, indicating a potential reversal.
To confirm the reversal, the next candle should also be bullish. When this candle surpasses the high of the preceding bearish candle, it provides a signal to enter a buying position. In terms of risk management, setting the stop-loss at the low of the second candle is recommended. This is because the second candle has already broken the low of the first candle, indicating a strong bearish sentiment.
This pattern typically consists of a bearish candle followed by a bullish candle that completely engulfs the bearish candle. However, it’s important to consider the size of the candles as well.
In some cases, the bearish candle may be small, while the subsequent bullish candle could be larger in size. This variation can still be considered a bullish engulfing pattern as long as the body of the bullish candle covers the body of the bearish candle. The key is that the second candle should be bullish and completely engulf the bearish candle, indicating a shift in market sentiment.
It’s worth noting that this pattern can also occur with a doji candle as the first candle, followed by a bullish candle. The essential criteria remain the same: the second candle should be bullish and cover the body of the first candle.
By recognizing and utilizing the bullish engulfing pattern, traders can identify potential opportunities for profit within a downtrend. Combining this pattern with proper risk management techniques, such as setting stop-loss orders, can help traders maximize their gains and minimize potential losses. Observing these candlestick patterns on price charts provides valuable insights for traders to make informed trading decisions.
In the context of analyzing the 5-minute chart of Nifty, a particular candlestick pattern called the hammer can be observed. The hammer pattern is often associated with potential bullish reversals within a downtrend. To identify this pattern, traders need to focus on a few key elements.
Firstly, the hammer pattern consists of a bearish candle followed by a bullish candle. It is important to note that the low of the bullish candle should be lower than the low of the preceding bearish candle. Secondly, the body of the bullish candle should cover around 50-70% of the body of the bearish candle. The presence or absence of shadows (wicks) on the candles is not as significant as the body-to-body comparison.
The third candle acts as a confirmation candle, indicating a potential entry point. When the market surpasses the high of the confirmation candle, traders can consider initiating a buy position. The stop-loss should be set at the low of the second candle, ensuring risk management in case the market does not follow the anticipated reversal.
By implementing this strategy on a 5-minute chart, traders who engage in scalping or prefer smaller time frames can achieve greater accuracy with smaller stop-loss levels. However, it’s important to adapt the time frame according to personal preference and risk tolerance. Analyzing larger time frames may necessitate wider stop-loss levels and different target considerations.
In the case of Adani Port, the candlestick patterns provided valuable insights for traders and investors who were considering buying the stock despite negative sentiment in the market. The daily chart revealed a downtrend, and within that trend, the piercing pattern emerged as a significant signal.
The piercing pattern consists of a bearish candle followed by a bullish candle. In the case of Adani Port, the third candle also turned out to be bullish, further confirming the potential reversal. This pattern suggested that buying Adani Port from its low point could be a favorable decision.
Considering the daily chart, the buy position was initiated around 575, taking into account the confirmation provided by the piercing pattern. The stop-loss level was set at the low of the third candle, which was wider due to the daily timeframe. It’s important to adapt the stop-loss level according to the timeframe being analyzed.
As the trade progressed, it’s worth noting that the market took some time to gain momentum and experienced a temporary fall around the 750 level. However, despite this setback, the trade eventually proved successful, with the market reaching a high of around 785-780.

The return on investment in this case was significant, showcasing the power of candlestick patterns and their ability to provide valuable insights for traders and investors. By recognizing and capitalizing on these patterns, market participants can make informed decisions, even in the face of negative sentiment and market expectations.
The pattern consists of a bearish candle followed by a larger bullish candle that engulfs the body of the bearish candle. The key criteria here are that the third candle should be bullish, regardless of its size.
Upon the breakout of the high of the third candle, a buy position can be initiated. It’s noteworthy that even if the fourth candle fails to break the high of the third candle, but the fifth candle does, a buy position can still be considered. However, it is crucial to ensure that the low of the second candle remains unbroken in the ongoing downtrend. Setting the stop-loss at the low of the second candle helps manage risk.
Once a buy position is established, significant price movements can occur, as indicated by a high breakout and even a subsequent gap up. It is essential to review the chart further for backtesting purposes, which allows for historical analysis of the pattern’s performance.
Additionally, the chart reveals another candlestick pattern known as the Bearish Harami pattern. This pattern features a bullish candle followed by a bearish candle that engulfs 50% or less of the previous bullish candle. The third candle is bearish, and when its low is broken, a sell position can be taken with the high of the first candle as the stop-loss. This pattern signifies a reversal from an uptrend to a downtrend.
Understanding and recognizing candlestick patterns, such as the Bullish Engulfing pattern, Bearish Harami pattern, and the hammer pattern, offer traders the opportunity to profit from market movements. These patterns have the ability to convert trends and provide valuable signals for entering or exiting positions.
However, it’s important to note that candlestick patterns should be used in conjunction with other technical indicators and fundamental analysis for a comprehensive understanding of the market. Proper risk management, including setting stop-loss levels, is vital for successful trading based on candlestick patterns.