Technical Analysis
Pin Bar (Rejection Wick)
A single-candle pattern with a long wick and tiny body, signalling strong price rejection at a level — bullish when wick is below, bearish when wick is above.
Key rules
- Wick must be at least 2× the body length (3× or more is high quality)
- Close should be near the opposite extreme from the wick
- Most powerful at strong support/resistance or prior swing highs/lows
- Volume spike on the pin bar increases reliability
- Enter on close of the pin bar or retest of the open/close level
A pin bar (also called a rejection wick, hammer, or shooting star depending on context) is defined by a long wick that extends significantly from a small body. The long wick shows that price was rejected aggressively at a level, and the candle closed far from the wick extreme.
**Bullish Pin Bar (Hammer)** - Long lower wick (wick should be at least 2× the body length) - Small body near the top of the candle - Appears at support levels or after a decline - Signals rejection of lower prices and potential reversal up
**Bearish Pin Bar (Shooting Star)** - Long upper wick - Small body near the bottom of the candle - Appears at resistance levels or after an advance - Signals rejection of higher prices and potential reversal down
**Quality Assessment** The wick-to-body ratio matters. A wick ≥3× the body size is a high-quality pin bar. The closer the close is to the opposite end of the wick, the stronger the rejection.