A black marubozu, also called a bearish marubozu, is a single candle with a long bearish body and no wicks. The price opened at the high and closed at the low. Sellers controlled the session from start to finish. It is a strong single-candle sign of selling pressure.
What a black marubozu looks like
A long bearish (black or red) body with no upper or lower shadow. The open equals the high and the close equals the low. A tiny wick is usually acceptable.
A "closing marubozu" with no lower wick is the more important version, because it shows sellers were still pushing at the close.
What it tells you
- At the top of a rally or at resistance, it can mark the start of a turn lower.
- Breaking down out of a range, it shows real selling behind the move.
- Inside a downtrend, it suggests the selling is not finished.
How traders use it
- As a warning: if you hold the share, a black marubozu at resistance is a reason to tighten your stop or take profits.
- As confirmation: it can confirm a breakdown from a pattern such as a descending triangle.
- For short trades: enter on the next candle or a small bounce into the lower half of the marubozu, with a stop above its midpoint or high.
After a long decline, a very large bearish candle can also be a sign of panic selling, which sometimes comes just before a bounce. Context matters.
Related guides
- White marubozu
- Essential candlestick patterns
- Engulfing patterns
- Descending triangle
- Support and resistance zones
This guide is for education only and is not financial advice. Trading carries risk; you can lose more than you expect.