Marubozu

What is the Marubozu?

The Marubozu is the opposite of a Doji. Where the Doji has a tiny body and (often) long wicks, the Marubozu has a body that takes up nearly the entire candle range with no meaningful wicks at either end.

Bullish Marubozu: open at the low, close at the high. Bearish Marubozu: open at the high, close at the low. The shape signals that one side controlled the entire session from open to close. No rejection, no hesitation.

How to identify a Marubozu

Requirements:

1. The body takes up at least 95% of the candle's total range. 2. Upper and lower wicks are negligible (less than 5% each). 3. Bullish Marubozu: close above open. Bearish Marubozu: close below open.

Some traders distinguish 'closing Marubozu' (no wick at the close end only) from 'opening Marubozu' (no wick at the open end only). The pure Marubozu — no wicks at either end — is the strongest variant.

How to trade the Marubozu

Two main uses.

Continuation entry: A Marubozu in the direction of the established trend signals trend acceleration. Enter on the close of the Marubozu (aggressive) or on a small pullback to the midpoint (conservative). Stop on the opposite side of the Marubozu.

Breakout confirmation: A Marubozu that closes through a key level (resistance, horizontal support break, EMA cross) confirms the breakout with high conviction. Trade the direction of the close.

Marubozu candles after extended trends can also signal exhaustion (climax move). The distinction: continuation Marubozu happens during the body of a trend; exhaustion Marubozu happens after parabolic acceleration. Volume context helps tell them apart.

More patterns and definitions in the forex glossary, or see them stacked on real charts in the trading blog.

Marubozu FAQ