Unit 4 · Chart Patterns

Double tops & double bottoms

The M and the W: a level tested twice, then a verdict.

The M (double top)

Price rallies to a peak, sells off, and rallies back to nearly the same price — then fails again. Two failed attempts at the same ceiling weaken the buyers behind it.

The W (double bottom)

The mirror: two defenses of the same floor, then a breakout through the middle bump. The seller who could not make a new low is in trouble.

The trigger and the trap

The trade is the break of the valley (or bump) between the two peaks — not the second touch itself. And the two extremes must genuinely match: a clearly higher second high is a different animal.

Quick check

The double top trade triggers when…
  • Price breaks below the low between the two peaks
  • The first peak prints
  • Price touches the ceiling twice
  • Volume disappears

The second peak only sets the stage. The verdict is the break of the middle low.

Play the interactive version →

This lesson is part of the free learning path at /academy/ — progress, XP and boss games live there.

Educational content only — not financial advice.