Between The Lines Of Rectangle Patterns

HOW ARE RECTANGLES DETERMINED?
The market pressure keeps the prices bound in a range between significant resistance and support. These areas can be determined by drawing a line that connects the two uppermost points and another line that connects the two lowermost. These lines should be unbroken and parallel to each other to form a rectangle pattern. When these lines are broken, one of the basic tenets of technical analysis comes into play; their roles reverse for the new prices, broken resistance becomes support, and the broken support becomes resistance.

The duration of a rectangle pattern varies. It can last from two or three weeks to six months on daily charts. There is usually no particular volume pattern associated with rectangles.

FIGURE 1: RECTANGLE FORMATIONS. Here you see two rectangle formations: the first one begins in February 2011 with resistance at $31 and ends in July 2011 with a downward break out through support at $27. Prices trended upward from there through the second rectangle, with two resistances at $27 and $31 to form another rectangle in May 2012 with new resistance around $36.60. The previous rectangle’s resistance became the new rectangle’s support at $31.

To the best of my knowledge, there are only two ways to trade rectangle patterns. One way is to sell when prices reach their resistance and to buy when prices touch support. Momentum indicators are the most frequently used tools for trading when prices are in a rectangle. Trend indicators are not useful for this. Some of the most common momentum indicators are the relative strength index (RSI), the stochastic oscillator, rate of change (ROC), and Williams’ %R.

Another way to trade a rectangle is to determine when and in which direction prices will break out of the pattern. Breakouts are often dramatic and can seem as though the bulls or bears are trading with renewed energy after a respite. Momentum indicators are not going to show when prices will break through the support or resistance areas, but if a trend indicator looks strong, it may indicate a continuation. In Figure 1, the 200-day moving average indicates a strong trend because prices are staying well above it and have not even come close to crossing below it.

The measuring principle is a common method for determining a price target when breakouts occur. It’s not a firm rule, but it can provide a good minimum target price for a trade. The target price is calculated by subtracting the support price from the resistance price, then adding it to the resistance for an upward breakout or by subtracting it from the support for a downward breakout.

Figure 1 shows that subtracting the $27 support from the $31 resistance provides a target of $35 for an upward breakout continuing the trend. This turned out to be conservative as the price reached $38.69 before receding into another rectangle pattern. A target for a downward breakout would have been $23 ($27 - $4), which was actually reached bottoming at $22.89 before the prices rebounded to continue the prevailing trend.

IT’S GOING SIDEWAYS
Rectangle patterns on a price chart are considered to be neutral formations where the bulls and bears are struggling in a tug of war trying to continue the prevailing trend or reverse it. Trading the pattern can be as simple as buying when prices reach resistance and selling when they descend to support. This can be confirmed through the use of momentum indicators.

Breakouts are usually dramatic and can turn over large profits to those who catch them at the right time, but they are also difficult to determine as there are no direct warnings indicating their direction. Due to the neutrality of this formation and its sideways direction, much of the price movement within it can epitomize the larger market and principles that apply there can also be used in this microcosm.

SUGGESTED READING

• Tintelnot, Bruce [2012]. “Right-Angle Triangles,” Working-Money.com: October 16.