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Trendlines and channels

Lesson 7 of 23 in the course “Technical Analysis”. Free, with animations and a quiz.

The line that holds the trend

A trendline is a sloped level. In an uptrend you draw it through the pullback lows. Two points are enough to draw it, and a third touch shows the market sees it. In TradingView it’s the Trend Line tool, Alt+T.

How to draw it honestly

The most common mistake is bending a line to touch the points you want and cutting through candle bodies with it. A line may touch a wick, but if it runs through bodies, price moved freely there and the line isn’t really there. And remember: a very steep line breaks fast, a gentler one lasts longer.

The channel

Draw a parallel line through the highs and you get a channel. Price moves inside like a ball in a corridor. Look for buys at the bottom of the channel with the trend, take profit near the top edge. If price stops reaching the top edge, the trend is weakening: that’s an early warning.

When the line breaks

A close below the trendline is a sign buyers are tired. But it’s not a reversal yet: price often just goes sideways. Confirmation is the break of the last HL. Now in the trainer you’ll draw a line through the lows and through the highs yourself, and it’ll check that you’re not cutting candles.

Check yourself

  1. Which points does an uptrend line go through?
    Correct answer: Through the pullback lows, the HLs. An uptrend line sits under price and rests on the pullback lows. Through the highs you draw a downtrend line or the top of a channel.
  2. Leo’s line touches two lows but runs through the bodies of three candles. What’s wrong?
    Correct answer: It cuts through bodies: price moved freely there, so there’s no line. A good line may touch a wick but doesn’t pass through bodies. Otherwise it’s curve-fitting.
  3. Price closed below the uptrend line. What does it mean?
    Correct answer: The trend is weakening; a break of the last HL would confirm a reversal. A line break is an early signal, not a verdict. A range often follows. Structure confirms a reversal: an LH and a broken HL.

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