Comparison
Shooting Star vs Inverted Hammer
They are the same shape: a small body near the bottom and a long upper wick. After an advance it is a shooting star, showing buyers pushed higher and were rejected. After a decline it is an inverted hammer, an early sign buyers are testing higher prices.
Shooting Star
bearish bias
A shooting star has a small body near the bottom of its range and a long upper wick, appearing after an advance. Buyers pushed price higher but sellers drove it back down before the close.
Inverted Hammer
bullish bias
An inverted hammer has a small body near the bottom of its range and a long upper wick, appearing after a decline. It shows buyers attempted a push higher, even though they could not hold all of it.
Side by side
| Aspect | Shooting Star | Inverted Hammer |
|---|---|---|
| Appears after | An advance | A decline |
| Bias | Bearish | Bullish |
| Confirmation | A next candle closing below the shooting star's body | A next candle opening above the body and closing higher |
| Invalidation | A close above the shooting star's high | A close below the inverted hammer's low |
How to tell them apart on a chart
- Look at the trend into the candle.
- A shooting star at a known resistance level carries more weight than one in open space.
- Wait for the next candle before acting on either.
Shooting Star: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: A next candle that closes below the shooting star's body.
Invalidated: A close above the shooting star's high.
Inverted Hammer: confirmation and invalidation
Confirms: A next candle that opens above the inverted hammer's body and closes higher.
Invalidated: A close below the inverted hammer's low.
Frequently asked questions
Does colour matter?
A little. A red shooting star or a green inverted hammer is slightly stronger, but the shape and location matter far more.
What is a gravestone doji then?
It is the extreme version: a long upper wick with open and close at or near the low, so there is almost no body.
Full guides
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Educational content only, not financial advice. Chart patterns describe probabilities, not certainties, and every pattern can fail. See our disclaimer.