Bullish Engulfing
A Bullish Engulfing pattern is a two-candle bullish reversal where a large bullish candle's body completely engulfs the smaller bearish candle before it.
Buyers decisively overwhelmed sellers within a single session, completely reversing the prior candle's losses — one of the most widely recognized reversal signals in technical analysis.
- Forms after a downtrend.
- First candle is a small-bodied bearish candle.
- Second candle is bullish and its body opens below (or at) and closes above the first candle's entire body.
- Many traders enter on the close of the engulfing candle or on a retest of its body.
- Stop-loss is commonly placed below the low of the engulfing candle.
- A larger engulfing candle relative to recent price action tends to carry more weight.
Educational only — not financial advice. Combine any candlestick pattern with broader market context, risk management, and your own trading plan.
Common questions
It's rated among the more reliable single-setup reversal patterns, especially when it appears after an extended downtrend and on above-average volume.
It's more actionable than most single-candle patterns, but many traders still like to see the next candle hold above the engulfing candle's open.