A hanging man candle is identical to the "hammer" candle in its shape but forms at the top of an uptrend indicating a price peak and potential reversion/reversal. While it is traditionally considered a bearish candle, it can also be a continuation candle that sucks in short-sellers and bears and then proceeds to squeeze the price higher. When a pattern becomes too familiar or expected, the market will often form the opposite reaction. This can be expected in a minus sum environment like the financial markets. Therefore, hanging man candles must be approached with several confirmation indicators to determine if it is a bearish reversal signal or a bullish continuation signal in each scenario.
Bearish Hanging Man Typically considered a bearish candlestick, an ideal scenario would be preceding series of at least three or more bullish green candles with higher highs. In the aforementioned structure with a small body and long tail, the hanging man candle should form at the top. The next candle needs to close under the body low, preferably at or below the tail.