Chart patterns have been documented in books and articles since the 1930s. (In fact, as we wrote about here, the Dow Theory can be traced back to 1900-1902). But the head-and-shoulders pattern is among the most famous chart patterns.

Several studies since the 1990s have demonstrated that the pattern works to identify market turning points. In one of the first studies, economists at the Federal Reserve said it was “not just a flaky pattern.” Since then, a number of respected academics have reached similar conclusions and agree that traders can obtain profits by using the pattern.

The head-and-shoulders pattern is sometimes seen on price charts ahead of a downside reversal. It occurs after an uptrend and consists of three peaks in price, The center peak is higher than the other two. The two “side” peaks should be about equal in height.

The pattern gets its name from the three peaks. The center is the head and the right and left are the shoulders. Connecting the bottom of the peaks is what is called the neckline. A break of this support level is the signal that the uptrend is reversing.

How Traders Use The Head-And-Shoulders Pattern

Traders can use a head-and-shoulders pattern to time sells in the market. The pattern can work in any market. And many traders look for the pattern in stocks, futures, and foreign exchange markets.

Take a look at the daily chart of IBM (NYSE: IBM) shown below, for example. We can see a tradable head-and-shoulders pattern that formed in roughly May through July of 2021.

Sometimes, traders may see a throwback. This happens after the stock breaks down through the neckline, and then swings back up to that level. Throwbacks also illustrate the idea that support (i.e., the neckline), once broken, becomes resistance.

In this case, while IBM did break above the neckline, it struggled to reach the level of the shoulders before ultimately breaking down.

In addition to providing trade timing signals, price objectives can be obtained from the head-and-shoulders pattern. The measuring rule is to expect a decline equal in size to the range from the neckline to the high reached at the top of the head. (In this case, from roughly $127.50 to $140, or 9%.)

In the chart above, once the neckline was breached ($127.50), the decline failed to reach the objective (9% lower) before the throwback. Prices rallied above the neckline before falling lower and eventually reaching the downside objective ($115).

Why It Matters To Traders

In addition to providing trade timing signals, the head-and-shoulders pattern offers price targets. There are few tools that traders can use to project how far a price move should go. This makes the pattern very useful for assessing how close we might be to a bottom. Once the price objective is reached, traders may take long positions with more confidence.

Chart patterns like the head-and-shoulders can be used as a trading strategy. Or they can be combined with other indicators to develop a more detailed view of the markets. Either way, this pattern has allowed many traders to profit over the years.

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