Wick

The thin line above or below a candle body, marking the high and low that price reached but did not close at.

Wicks record rejection. Price travelled to that level and was pushed back before the period ended.

A long upper wick means buyers were rejected at the highs; a long lower wick means sellers were rejected at the lows. Where the rejection happened matters more than its size.

Also called: shadow, tail.

Taught in

Reading Your First CandleCandle Anatomy

Body, wicks, and color — the raw material of every chart you'll ever read.

Also covered in that lesson

BodyThe thick rectangular part of a candlestick, spanning the distance between the open and the close.Bullish candleA candle that closes above where it opened — buyers finished the period in control.Bearish candleA candle that closes below where it opened — sellers finished the period in control.OHLCOpen, high, low and close — the four prices every candlestick encodes for its period.

Related terms

Body