Cup And Handle Complete Guide
What is Cup And Handle?
The Cup and Handle is a classic bullish continuation pattern first popularized by William O'Neil in his 'CAN SLIM' strategy. It resembles a tea cup in profile, where the 'cup' is a U-shaped consolidation and the 'handle' is a short-term downward drift or 'shakeout' before the price resumes its primary uptrend. The pattern typically forms after a significant price advance of at least 30%. The cup should be rounded rather than V-shaped to indicate a healthy period of consolidation where selling pressure is gradually absorbed. According to Thomas Bulkowski’s 'Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns,' this formation is highly reliable. In a bull market, the upward breakout from a cup and handle has a low failure rate of approximately 5% (when looking for a 10% gain) and an average price rise of 34%. Volume is a critical component: it should decrease during the formation of the cup's base, increase on the right side of the cup, dry up significantly during the handle's formation, and finally surge at least 40% to 50% above the 50-day average during the breakout. The handle usually forms in the upper half of the cup's depth and should not drop below the 10-week moving average. If the handle retraces more than 50% of the cup's height, the pattern's success probability decreases. Traders look for a breakout above the resistance line formed by the peaks of the cup, often using the handle's high as the entry trigger. This pattern is favored by growth investors because it represents a 'pause that refreshes,' allowing weak holders to exit before the next leg of the rally.
Identification Rules
- Prior Trend: A clear uptrend of at least 30% must precede the formation of the cup.
- Cup Shape: A 'U' shaped bottom lasting 7 to 65 weeks; 'V' shapes are considered too volatile and less reliable.
- Handle Position: The handle must form in the upper half of the cup's depth and generally lasts 1 to 4 weeks.
- Volume Confirmation: Volume should dry up during the handle and surge at least 40-50% above average on the breakout.
References
- Thomas N. Bulkowski (2005). Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns.
- Steve Nison (2001). Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques.
FAQ
What is the ideal depth of the cup?
Ideally, the cup should retrace between 12% and 33% of the previous advance, though it can reach 50% in volatile markets.
Why is a 'U' shape preferred over a 'V' shape?
Une forme en « U » indique une consolidation naturelle où l'offre est épuisée ; une forme en « V » est souvent un retournement « brutal » qui ne permet pas l'élimination nécessaire des mains faibles.
What does Bulkowski say about the failure rate?
Bulkowski note un faible taux d'échec de 5 % en marché haussier pour les cassures qui augmentent d'au moins 10 % au-dessus du point de cassure.
Comment définir un objectif de cours pour cette figure chartiste ?
L'objectif est calculé en mesurant la distance verticale entre le pic droit et le fond de la tasse, et en l'ajoutant au point de rupture.
La poignée peut-elle avoir une tendance à la hausse ?
No, a proper handle should drift downward or move sideways. An upward-sloping handle is often a sign of a failing pattern.
More Analysis
Parts of this page (FAQ, introductions) are AI-assisted. Core data and statistics are algorithmically computed. All pattern definitions are human-reviewed.
Avertissement : Cette page est basée sur des données de marché publiques et une analyse technique algorithmique. Elle ne constitue pas un conseil en investissement.
Data source: EODHD · © 2026 KlineVision AI