Understanding Multiple Candlestick Patterns in Trading
Edited By
Liam Hughes
Prolusion
Trading is like trying to read a story told by the market, except the characters are prices, and the language is candlesticks. Knowing what one candle means can be handy, but understanding multiple candlestick patterns working together gives a much clearer picture.
In India’s bustling stock markets, traders often find themselves juggling many signals at once. From the Sensex to the Nifty and various commodities like gold and crude, combining candlestick patterns helps spot turning points and trend strengths more reliably.
This article breaks down the basics of candlestick charting, digs into essential patterns, and shows how merging several patterns can boost your trading decisions. Whether you're a beginner investor or a seasoned analyst, these insights aim to sharpen your market reading skills and help you make smarter moves.
Kickoff to Candlestick Charts
Candlestick charts form the backbone of technical analysis in trading, especially for those aiming to read the market like an open book. They tell you what happened in the market during a specific period and sometimes hint at what might come next. Unlike simple line charts that only connect closing prices, candlesticks pack a lot of info into a single visual element.
Why does this matter? In trading, timing is everything. Candlestick charts offer a quick snapshot of price action — showing the open, close, high, and low for a given time frame — all in one neat package. This helps traders detect shifts in momentum or sentiment. For example, a trader looking at a stock like Reliance Industries on the NSE can see at a glance not just where prices ended up, but how volatile the session was.
The takeaway here is straightforward: mastering candlestick charts lays the groundwork for understanding more complex pattern combinations later. By grasping how these charts work, you get a sharper edge in spotting trading opportunities and avoiding pitfalls.
What Are Candlestick Charts?
Basic features of candlestick charts
At their core, candlestick charts depict price fluctuations over specified intervals—this could be anything from one minute to one day. Each "candlestick" represents that interval, and shows four prices: open, high, low, and close. The body of the candlestick is colored differently depending on whether price closed higher or lower than it opened. Green or white bodies usually mean a price rise, while red or black bodies indicate a drop.
Why should you care? If you're keeping an eye on a stock like HDFC Bank on the Bombay Stock Exchange, candlesticks reveal if buyers or sellers were in control during the day. A long green body suggests buyers dominated, while a long red body means sellers had the upper hand. This quick visual cue can save you time and help you make better decisions in the heat of the moment.
How they differ from other chart types
Compared to traditional line charts that just connect closing prices, candlestick charts provide a richer story. Unlike bar charts—which also show open, high, low, and close—candlesticks use solid bodies that immediately highlight whether the session was bullish or bearish. It's like the difference between seeing a black-and-white sketch and a full-color photo.
This matters because it speeds up your analysis. In fast-moving markets like the Indian stock market, you often don't have the luxury to dig deep into numbers. Instead, candlesticks give instant clues about trend strength and possible reversals.
Components of a Single Candlestick
Open, high, low, close prices
Every candlestick is built around four key prices:
Open price: where trading started for that period
High price: the highest point reached
Low price: the lowest point reached
Close price: where trading ended
Understanding these helps you gauge market sentiment. For instance, a candlestick on Tata Motors showing a big jump from open to close, with a relatively small shadow, tells you buyers were confident throughout the period. On the other hand, long wicks (shadows) mean there was fighting between bulls and bears.
Body and shadows explained
The body of a candlestick is the thick part between open and close. It shows whether the price moved up or down. When the close is above the open, the body is usually light-colored. When it’s below, it’s dark or red.
The thin lines extending from the body are called shadows or wicks. They mark the extremes of trading in that period—high and low prices. Long upper shadows suggest sellers pushed the price down after a rally, while long lower shadows indicate buyers stepped in after a fall.
In practice, spotting patterns in these bodies and shadows can hint at reversals or continuations. For example, a single candle with a long lower shadow and small body often signals a possible bottom, as buyers fought off sellers aggressively.
By getting comfortable with these candlestick parts, you’re setting yourself up to read more complex patterns that involve multiple candles, which can enhance your trading accuracy significantly.
Common Single Candlestick Patterns
Single candlestick patterns are the foundation for reading price movements in trading charts. They form the building blocks upon which more complex multi-candle patterns stand. For traders, especially those navigating the fast pace of the Indian NSE or BSE markets, understanding these individual patterns is crucial. They provide quick, easily recognizable signals about potential trend changes or market indecision.
Knowing these patterns helps you make swift decisions—like spotting when a brief pause in price may hint at a turning point. For example, a solitary hammer candle on the daily chart of Reliance Industries might suggest buyers stepping in after a downtrend, giving a clue to potential gains ahead.
Doji and Its Meaning
What a Doji represents
A Doji candle shows that the opening and closing prices are nearly identical, creating a very thin body. This pattern often signifies indecision among traders — basically, the bulls and bears are at a standstill. While it doesn't necessarily predict price direction on its own, the presence of a Doji often warns that a trend could be pausing or about to reverse.
For example, if a Doji appears after a strong uptrend in Tata Motors, it might hint at buyers losing momentum, inviting traders to watch closely for confirmation from the next candles before making decisions.
Types of Doji patterns
There isn’t just one Doji. Differrent types offer subtle clues:
Standard Doji: Open and close are virtually the same, with small or no shadows.
Long-legged Doji: Shows long upper and lower wicks, reflecting heightened uncertainty.
Dragonfly Doji: Open, high, and close are the same, with a long lower shadow — potential bullish signal.
Gravestone Doji: Open, low, and close align with a long upper wick — often bearish.
Each type adds nuance to market psychology, so spotting these can refine your entry and exit strategies.
Hammer and Hanging Man
Identifying hammer-shaped candles
Hammers have small bodies at the upper end of the trading range, with a long lower shadow that's at least twice the length of the body. This shape suggests that while sellers pushed prices down, buyers fought back strongly to close near the open.
You may see a hammer after a decline in stocks like Infosys, signaling a potential end to selling pressure. It’s like the buyers are saying, "Hey, we’re not done yet!"
Differences between hammer and hanging man
Both look alike but play different roles depending on the trend:
Hammer: Appears after a downtrend and hints at bullish reversal.
Hanging Man: Found after an uptrend; warns of a possible bearish reversal.
So, context is king here. A hanging man appearing on the chart of ICICI Bank after a steady rise can be a red flag, signaling sellers might start dominating soon.
Engulfing Patterns
Bullish engulfing explained
Bullish engulfing occurs when a small bearish candle is followed by a larger bullish candle that completely covers the previous one’s body. This pattern signals strong buying interest overwhelming sellers.
For instance, if HDFC Bank’s chart shows a small red candle followed by a big green one engulfing it, traders might expect an upward move, sometimes leading to solid gains.
Bearish engulfing explained
The bearish version flips this scenario: a small green candle is followed by a larger red candle that swallows it whole. This signals sellers taking charge and might mark the start of a downtrend.
Say Infosys has been climbing steadily, but then this pattern emerges. It could be a warning to tighten stops or take profits, as prices might slide next.
Remember, no single pattern guarantees outcomes. Always look for confirmation and consider the broader market context before acting.
Understanding these common single candlestick patterns equips traders with quick, actionable insights. They can be spotted easily on any chart and offer clues about who’s winning the battle between buyers and sellers. This knowledge forms the backbone for grasping more complex multi-candle formations and improves one’s overall trading edge.
Understanding Multiple Candlestick Patterns
When it comes to trading, relying on a single candlestick often feels like trying to catch a bus with one eye closed. Multiple candlestick patterns offer a broader picture, showing not just isolated price moments but how these moments connect to reveal market sentiment more clearly. This section dives into why recognizing combinations of candlesticks delivers much stronger insights than looking at them in isolation.
What Are Multiple Candlestick Patterns?
Combining individual candlesticks means looking at sequences of two or more candles together rather than analyzing one at a time. Think of it like understanding a sentence instead of just words—each candlestick carries a part of the story, but combined, they show a fuller message about buyers and sellers tugging at the market.
For example, a single bullish candle might indicate a price rise, but paired with a preceding bearish candle and followed by a doji, it may shape into a "Morning Star" pattern — a strong sign of an upcoming reversal. By observing how candles behave over consecutive sessions, traders can anticipate turning points or trend continuations more reliably.
How patterns together show stronger signals lies in the power of confirmation. A lone candlestick might sometimes mislead due to sudden news or random market noise. However, multiple candles forming a recognizable pattern reduce the chance of such false alarms. The market's collective mood becomes clearer when multiple candles paint a consistent picture.
Take the "Three White Soldiers" pattern: seeing one strong bullish candle tells you something, but three consecutive bullish candles with increasing close prices make a much firmer statement about buyer dominance. Such patterns carry weight because they've stood the test of more than just a fleeting moment.
Why Combine Multiple Patterns?
Improved accuracy in trend prediction is one of the biggest perks of analyzing multiple candlestick patterns. Rather than guessing based on one candle’s shape, combining patterns increases confidence. This approach is especially useful in the Indian stock markets like NSE or BSE, where volatility can spike due to global cues or domestic events.
For instance, spotting a "Bullish Engulfing" candle following a series of bearish candles might not be enough to jump into a trade. But if it’s backed by a "Morning Star" pattern across three days, the chances of a real trend reversal improve dramatically. Accuracy like this helps traders avoid premature entries and sit tight until clearer signs emerge.
Reducing false signals is all about cutting through the market’s noise. Single candlesticks can sometimes trick you by flashing quick changes that don’t last. When you combine patterns, erratic moves get filtered out naturally because the signal must hold over multiple sessions to form a valid pattern.
For example, a single hammer candle might suggest a bottom, but without confirmation like a strong bullish candle afterward, it could just be a temporary bounce. By waiting for that confirmation within the pattern group, a trader effectively narrows down the guesswork and protects their trades from sudden reversals.
In essence, using multiple candlestick patterns isn't about complexity for complexity’s sake—it's about reading the market’s language properly and making smarter, more reliable calls.
By practicing reading these combined patterns regularly, traders can sharpen their timing and reduce costly mistakes. This section should give you a clearer idea why multiple candlesticks deserve your attention in the journey to better trading decisions.
Popular Multiple Candlestick Patterns to Watch
Understanding popular multiple candlestick patterns is like having a seasoned guide by your side when trading. These patterns blend individual candles into stories about the market’s next moves, often more reliable than single candle signals alone. They help tighten your entry and exit spots and reduce chances of jumping the gun.
What makes these patterns essential is their ability to reflect shifts in market psyche — from hesitation to conviction, from bear pressure to bull push. Traders in India, especially those dealing with NSE or BSE stocks, benefit a lot from tuning into these signals because local volume and volatility often confirm or reject these patterns faster.
Subsections below dive into a few of the most widely respected formations traders watch closely.
Morning Star and Evening Star
Formation and interpretation:
The Morning Star and Evening Star are classic three-candle setups signaling potential trend reversals. A Morning Star kicks off with a bearish candle, followed by a small-bodied candle (showing indecision), then a strong bullish candle that closes well into the first candle's body. This sequence hints buyers gearing up after a period of selling.
The Evening Star follows the opposite: a strong bullish candle, then a pause with a small-bodied candle, and finally a bearish candle closing deeply into the earlier bullish body. It's a warning that sellers might be taking charge soon.
For instance, imagine Reliance Industries' chart showing a Morning Star after a consistent drop; this suggests buyers are stepping in, giving traders a heads-up to consider long positions.
Market sentiment behind these patterns:
These patterns reveal shifts from fear to hope and vice versa. The small candle in the middle is key—it signals uncertainty and a potential pause before the tide changes. The size and position of the third candle reflect a stronger conviction by bulls or bears.
Indian traders should look for these stars near established support or resistance levels to give the pattern extra weight. Volume spikes during the third candle add confirmation, signaling genuine momentum behind the move.
Morning and Evening Stars: small candles showing hesitation, then strong follow-through—a market telling you who's winning the tug of war.
Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows
What these patterns indicate:
Three White Soldiers consist of three consecutive bullish candles, each closing progressively higher with minimal shadows. This pattern often marks a strong bullish reversal or a continued uptrend. The opposite, Three Black Crows, features three consecutive bearish candles with lower closes, indicating strong selling pressure and potential bearish reversal.
It’s like seeing three soldiers marching in unison—if they’re white, bulls are owning the battlefield; if black, bears are dominant.
Examples in real market scenarios:
Take Infosys during a post-correction bounce: if you spot Three White Soldiers on the daily chart, it often triggers momentum traders to pile in. Conversely, if Tata Steel shows Three Black Crows after a rally, cautious traders might trim longs or look for shorts.
In practice, these patterns work best coupled with other signals like RSI dropping below or rebounding from oversold/overbought zones. Traders should avoid relying on them blindly, especially if volume doesn't support the pattern.
Harami Pattern in Multiple Candles
Bearish and bullish harami:
A Harami is a two-candle pattern where a large candle is followed by a smaller one completely contained within the first’s body. A bullish Harami appears in a downtrend with a large bearish candle first, then a smaller bullish candle, suggesting sellers’ momentum is fading.
The bearish Harami flips this in an uptrend: a big bullish candle, then a smaller bearish candle indicating buyers might be losing grip.
Confirming a reversal:
Harami patterns alone aren’t guarantees; confirmation is key. Traders wait for subsequent candles to confirm the reversal by moving in the expected direction, ideally with volume picking up.
In Indian markets, using Harami with support and resistance zones can enhance reliability. For instance, if a bullish Harami forms near a known support level in the Nifty 50 index, it's a stronger buy signal.
Harami reminds us: the market's indecision can mean change is brewing, but patience pays before jumping in.
Mastering these multiple candlestick patterns offers a clearer window into the market's crowd psychology and improving trading decisions. Recognizing the formations, combining them with volume and market context, and applying them thoughtfully is a smart way to step up from guessing to a calculated approach.
How to Recognize Multiple Candlestick Patterns
Recognizing multiple candlestick patterns is a skill that can seriously up your trading game, especially when spotting turning points or confirming trends in the market. Instead of relying on a single candle, looking at a sequence gives a fuller picture and helps avoid jumping the gun on false signals. For traders and investors, this ability translates to better-timed decisions rather than guesswork.
A key reason for focusing on multiple candles is the added context each candle provides in relation to the others. For instance, a single bullish candle might look promising, but if it is sandwiched between weak or indecisive candles, the signal is less convincing. Recognizing patterns like the Morning Star or Three White Soldiers involves connecting the dots between several candles, which tells a clearer story about market sentiment.
Step-By-Step Pattern Identification
Observing Candle Formations
First things first: be able to clearly spot the shapes, sizes, and positions of the candles in the pattern. Each candlestick carries its own message—like a small hammer or a long shadow—that contributes to the overall pattern. When you focus purely on single candles without the context, you might miss the forest for the trees.
Look for distinct features such as:
The size of the body relative to the shadows
The color or fill indicating bullish or bearish pressure
The position of the candle in the recent price action
Say you are trying to spot the Evening Star formation—notice a large bullish candle followed by a small-bodied candle (indecision), then a strong bearish candle closing well into the first candle’s body. Observing these details accurately is fundamental before moving on.
Checking for Confirmation in Following Candles
Once you identify a potential pattern, the next step is confirmation—don’t just buy or sell immediately! Traders often wait for the candle after the pattern to see if the price moves as expected. Confirmation could be price closing above or below the pattern’s extremes.
For example, after spotting a bullish Harami pattern, wait for the next candle to close higher than the Harami’s high. Without this confirmation, the pattern might fail, leading to premature trades.
Confirmation reduces risk by avoiding setups that look good merely on paper but lack follow-through in actual market pressure. It's like waiting for the green light rather than guessing traffic flow.
Using Volume and Other Indicators
Supporting Candlestick Analysis with Volume
Volume is often the silent partner in candlestick analysis. A pattern backed by strong volume carries more weight because it means more traders are involved in that move, making it less likely to be a fluke.
Picture this: a Morning Star pattern appears on Nifty 50 charts, but the middle candle forms on low volume—this might indicate weak buying interest. Conversely, if the breakout candle closes with high volume, it suggests conviction and increased probability of an upward trend.
Always check volume trends alongside candlestick patterns to refine your entries and exits.
Combining with Moving Averages or RSI
To sharpen your judgment further, mixing candlestick patterns with indicators like moving averages (MA) or the Relative Strength Index (RSI) works wonders. For instance, a bullish pattern forming near the 50-day MA or when RSI is rising from an oversold area adds confirmation.
If you spot a Three White Soldiers pattern but RSI signals an overbought condition, it’s a cue to keep extra caution or expect a possible pullback soon. On the flip side, if RSI supports the bullish candle sequence, it confirms momentum behind the pattern.
Using these tools in tandem creates a practical, layered approach—candlesticks provide the "what," and indicators give you a hint on "how strong" or "reliable." This can dramatically improve risk management and overall strategy success.
Paying attention to the full picture—candle patterns, volume, and indicators—turns guesswork into informed trading choices.
To sum up, recognizing multiple candlestick patterns takes constant practice. Observe candle formations closely, look for confirmation, and back them up with volume and reliable indicators. This way, you build confidence in deciding when to jump in and when to hold back in the fast-moving Indian markets.
Applying Multiple Candlestick Patterns in Trading
Using multiple candlestick patterns in your trading toolkit can significantly improve your decisions. When you spot patterns working together, it’s a bit like getting a second opinion—making your read on the market more reliable. Instead of betting on just one candle’s story, you get a fuller picture of what traders might do next.
This approach is super handy in volatile markets like India’s NSE and BSE, where sudden shifts happen often. Knowing how to apply these combined signals means you can set smarter entry and exit points, manage risk better, and avoid common pitfalls that come with relying on single patterns.
Developing a Trading Strategy Based on Patterns
Setting Entry and Exit Points
Figuring out when to hop in or step out of a trade is probably the trickiest part. Multiple candlestick patterns help you pinpoint these crucial moments more clearly. For example, spotting a Morning Star pattern followed by a bullish engulfing candle can hint that it’s time to buy rather than wait and see.
An entry point based on such confirmation means you’re not guessing. Likewise, using patterns like the Evening Star combined with volume drops can signal it’s time to exit a position before the price falls. The key is to wait for confirmation in the next candle or two to avoid jumping in too soon.
This kind of clear setup keeps your trades more calculated. Instead of reacting to every little blip, you act on stronger, combined evidence.
Risk Management Considerations
No matter how confident you are in a candlestick pattern, managing risk is non-negotiable. Even the best patterns can give false signals, especially during choppy market conditions.
Set stop-loss orders just below or above key candles in your pattern to protect your capital. For instance, if you enter on a bullish Harami confirmation, place your stop-loss just below the lows of the Harami’s candle range.
Also, never put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your trades and use only a small portion of your capital on one setup. Remember, trading is about preserving your account as much as growing it.
Staying disciplined with entry, exit, and risk limits means you guard against surprise downturns even when patterns look promising.
Examples from Indian Markets
Case Studies on NSE and BSE Stocks
Take Tata Motors on the NSE for example. In late 2023, a Three White Soldiers pattern formed after a series of cautious candles. Traders who recognized this used the pattern to enter positions ahead of a sizeable rally fuelled by positive quarterly results.
Similarly, Reliance Industries on the BSE showed an Evening Star pattern at resistance levels. Smart traders spotted this and trimmed their positions right before price tumbled after a negative earnings surprise.
These real-world examples show that combining pattern analysis with market context works well.
Adapting Patterns for Local Market Behaviour
Indian markets have quirks like fresher volatility and news-driven moves that international markets might not show. This means patterns sometimes need context: a Morning Star might morph into a false signal if a major policy announcement disrupts the trend.
Watch for volume spikes relating to festivals, RBI announcements, or budget days, because these can either confirm patterns or throw them out the window.
Also, adjust your time frames—what works on a daily chart might not hold on intraday charts due to local market noise.
Understanding the ebb and flow of Indian market rhythms helps you fine-tune multiple candlestick patterns for better accuracy and profit potential.
Putting it all together, applying multiple candlestick patterns with smart strategy and local insight can ramp up your trading game effectively.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Candlestick Patterns
When trading using candlestick patterns, it's easy to stumble into some classic traps that can cost you big. Candlestick charts are powerful tools, but they shouldn't be treated as crystal balls. Understanding where people slip up can save you from costly errors.
One of the biggest mistakes is relying too heavily on the patterns themselves without considering the bigger picture, and another is ignoring the market context like trends and volume. These factors are crucial for accurate interpretation and smarter trading decisions.
Overreliance on Patterns Alone
Patterns tell a story, but they are just one chapter of the whole market novel. Traders often fall into the trap of assuming a bullish engulfing or a morning star pattern will guarantee an uptrend—but without looking at broader technical indicators or fundamentals, this can be misleading.
Combining candlestick patterns with other tools like moving averages, Relative Strength Index (RSI), or fundamental analysis such as company earnings reports creates a fuller view. For example, spotting a bullish morning star while the stock is breaking out above its 50-day moving average adds weight to the signal. Without this context, patterns might just be random price action rather than reliable indicators.
Tip: Always back your candlestick signal with at least one additional technical or fundamental factor before making your move.
Ignoring Market Context
Why Trend and Volume Matter
Candlestick patterns work best when you keep the overall market environment in mind. Imagine you spot a three white soldiers pattern—a strong bullish indicator. If this pattern shows up in a downtrend with declining volume, its reliability drops.
Volume acts like the heartbeat of price movement. High volume validating a pattern confirms genuine interest and strength behind the move, while low volume raises doubts about its sustainability. Similarly, recognizing where the market is trending is key: patterns signaling reversal in a strong trend might just be temporary pauses.
Avoiding Misinterpretation
Not every formation means what it looks like at first glance. For instance, a hammer candle is generally bullish if it appears after a downtrend; but if seen in a strong uptrend, it could simply be a pause or a test of support levels.
Misreading patterns without the market context can lead to jumping into trades too early or missing the real opportunity. That’s why it’s important to step back, check the overall trend direction, volume patterns, and even consider broader news affecting sector or stock. This approach minimizes false alarms.
By steering clear of these common pitfalls, you’ll sharpen your candlestick pattern skills and avoid many frustrating and costly mistakes. Candlestick patterns shine when used like a compass in a full map of market data—not as a sole navigator in the fog.
Conclusion and Practical Tips
Wrapping up, understanding multiple candlestick patterns is more than just spotting pretty shapes on a chart. It's about piecing together signals that reflect real market psychology. When you combine these patterns, you get a clearer picture — it’s like getting a second opinion but from the market itself. This section ties everything together and offers practical advice to turn knowledge into action, which is essential in the fast-moving Indian stock market.
Take, for example, the Morning Star pattern combined with rising volume on NSE shares like Tata Steel — this combo signals a potentially strong bullish reversal, so recognizing such patterns can give traders a handy edge. Without these practical tips, even the sharpest analysis might miss the mark.
Summary of Key Takeaways
Patterns to focus on
Certain patterns deserve your attention because they’re reliable and easier to spot. The Morning Star and Evening Star stand out for signaling reversals effectively. Similarly, the Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows can confirm sustained trends. Keep an eye on Harami patterns too — they're subtle but often point to reversals before the crowd catches on. These patterns aren’t just fancy visuals; they’re your clues to shifting momentum.
By focusing on these, traders can cut through noise and avoid chasing weak signals. Imagine spotting a Bullish Engulfing on Reliance Industries just as market momentum picks up — this could be your sign to enter a trade early, rather than waiting for confirmation at a higher price.
Best practices for use
Relying on patterns alone can be a trap. Always double-check what the volume is saying — weak volume on a supposedly bullish pattern might mean the move isn’t convincing. Combine candlestick patterns with indicators like RSI or moving averages for a well-rounded view.
Don’t rush trades based on a single pattern. Look for confirmation from the next candle or even a small pullback, especially if you trade highly volatile segments like BSE midcaps.
Keep trading journals noting which patterns worked and which didn’t — this can help refine your strategy over time. Risk management is crucial; always set stop-loss levels based on recent price action, not just pattern theory.
Next Steps for Traders
Continuous learning and practice
Candlestick patterns are not static; market behavior changes over time. It’s important to practice spotting and interpreting these patterns daily using demo accounts or low-risk trades before scaling up. Practice sharpens instincts and teaches you how patterns behave in real-world conditions, especially within Indian market nuances.
Don’t get lazy after learning the basics — revisit your chart setups regularly. Even experienced traders face losses if they ignore evolving market conditions.
Resources for deeper study
Books like Steve Nison’s "Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques" remain classics for understanding candlestick origins and details. Also, subscribe to market analysis from platforms like Zerodha Varsity or Moneycontrol to see candlestick patterns illustrated in current contexts.
Attend webinars by reputed Indian trading educators or participate in forums such as Trading Q&A on StockTwits, where real traders discuss live market patterns.
Remember, the goal is to keep sharpening your skills without overwhelming yourself. Pick resources that challenge you just enough to grow steadily. That way, you'll be better prepared to read those candlesticks like a pro and make smarter trading decisions.