Identifying a downtrend early can help you avoid major losses and even catch profitable short opportunities. Hereâs a visual breakdown of how smart traders recognize downtrends using reliable price action techniques:
đ» 1. Lower Highs & Lower Lows (LH & LL)
A classic sign. If price forms consistently lower highs and lower lows, itâs the market screaming: Downtrend active!
đ» 2. Fibonacci Rejections
In a bearish trend, price often retraces to Fibonacci levels (like 0.5 or 0.618) and then gets rejected hard. Thatâs a sell signal!
đ» 3. Broken Support Becomes Resistance
Once price breaks below a key support level and fails to reclaim it, that support turns into resistance. Watch how price respects it on the way down.
đ» 4. Bearish Flag Patterns
After a sharp drop, you might see a small upward channel (flag). Once broken, it often leads to another leg down.
đ» 5. Volume Confirmation
During the dumps, volume increases â red candles get louder. Thatâs institutions and whales driving the trend, not just small traders.
đ» 6. Moving Averages (MA)
If price is consistently below the 50 EMA or 200 EMA, and they are sloping downward, it reinforces bearish momentum.
đ» 7. MA Crossovers
When a shorter EMA (like 20 EMA) crosses below a longer EMA (like 50 EMA), it's called a bearish crossover. Many traders use this as a confirmation.
đ» 8. Elliott Wave Breakdown
If you're seeing impulsive moves down with smaller pullbacks up (Wave 1 to Wave 5), this structure often completes a major bearish wave pattern
Never rely on just one signal. Use a combination like LH-LL structure + volume spike + MA crossover â for higher