Key Takeaways
A descending triangle is a signal for traders to take a short position to accelerate a breakdown.
A descending triangle is detectable by drawing trend lines for the highs and lows on a chart.
A descending triangle is the counterpart of an ascending triangle, which is another trend line based chart pattern used by technical analysts.
Bullish flag formations are found in stocks with strong uptrends. They are called bull flags because the pattern resembles a flag on a pole. The pole is the result of a vertical rise in a stock and the flag results from a period of consolidation. The flag can be a horizontal rectangle, but is also often angled down away from the prevailing trend. Another variant is called a bullish pennant, in which the consolidation takes the form of a symmetrical triangle. The shape of the flag is not as important as the underlying psychology behind the pattern. Basically, despite a strong vertical rally, the stock refuses to drop appreciably, as bulls snap up any shares they can get. The breakout from a flag often results in a powerful move higher, measuring the length of the prior flag pole. It is important to note that these patterns work the same in reverse and are known as bear flags and pennants.
EOM.