What is an Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern?
An evening star doji is a three-candle bearish reversal pattern — a strong green candle, a doji at the top, then a strong red candle that confirms the turn. The doji in the middle is what separates it from the standard evening star. That single doji marks the moment buyers and sellers fought to a draw at the highs, right before sellers took over.
What Does an Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern Indicate?
It shows buyers ran out of gas at the top and sellers stepped in to take control. The doji is the warning shot — buyers and sellers fought at the highs, but neither side could close the candle with control.
When Candle 3 closes red, that confirms the reversal. Late buyers are now trapped, and fresh sellers are pressing into them.
Is the Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern Bullish or Bearish?
Bearish. It shows up after an uptrend and warns of a swing high — either a deeper pullback or a trend change.
The rule: it's only a sell signal once the third candle confirms. No confirmation, no trade. Don't short the doji itself — you'll get run over half the time.
How to Identify an Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern?
An evening star doji forms after an uptrend, when three candles print in this order: strength, indecision, then decisive selling.
- Context: Price is rising into a swing high, resistance, or an extended move. No uptrend, no setup.
- Candle 1: A long green real body that pushes the trend higher.
- Candle 2: A doji near the highs — small real body, often with wicks on both sides showing rejection.
- Candle 3: A strong red candle that closes well into Candle 1's body, ideally below its midpoint.
If Candle 3 only closes shallow into Candle 1, the signal is weak. Wait for a clean close below the midpoint before treating it as a reversal.
How to Trade an Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern?
The play: wait for Candle 3 to confirm, then short with your stop above the doji high. That high is your invalidation. If price reclaims it, you were wrong — get out.
- Entry: Sell short on the close of Candle 3, or on the next candle if it trades below Candle 3's low and holds.
- Stop loss: Above the high of the doji (or the highest high of the three candles, whichever is higher).
- Profit target: The nearest support zone — prior swing low, demand area, or a major moving average like the 50 or 200. Trail the rest if momentum expands.
- Filters: The best setups form into resistance and show a large bearish body on Candle 3 relative to recent candles. The bigger the red body, the more conviction behind the reversal.
🔥 Pro Tip: Measure your risk in R, not dollars. If the doji high is too far from your entry, the trade isn't worth it — skip it and wait for the next one.
What Happens After an Evening Star Doji Candlestick Pattern?
Price follows through lower for several candles, then retests the breakdown area as buyers try to defend and trapped longs use the bounce to exit. That retest is where the real selling pressure shows up.
The common failure mode is an immediate reclaim of the doji high. If that happens, the sell-off was absorbed and the uptrend is back on. Cut the trade.
What are the Different Types of Evening Star Doji Candlestick Patterns?
The evening star doji is itself a variant of the standard evening star, where the middle candle has a small real body but isn't a true doji. The doji version is the stronger signal because it shows perfect indecision at the top.
Beyond that, traders grade the pattern by Candle 3's close:
- Strong version: Candle 3 closes below Candle 1's midpoint. High conviction reversal.
- Weak version: Candle 3 is small or closes shallow into Candle 1's body. Low conviction — wait for more confirmation before sizing in.