Bullish Kicker

A bullish kicker is one of the most powerful two-candle reversal patterns. It occurs when a bearish candle is followed by a bullish candle that opens above the first candle's open — a dramatic gap up that "kicks" price in the opposite direction. The complete reversal in sentiment, combined with the gap, signals very strong buying pressure. Kickers are rare but highly significant when they appear.

Bullish Kicker candlestick pattern diagram

Pattern Anatomy

Candle 1: A bearish (red) candle — sellers were in control
Candle 2: A bullish (green) candle that opens at or above Candle 1's open price
The gap between Candle 1's open (top of bearish body) and Candle 2's open means the bodies don't overlap
Both candles should ideally have large bodies (marubozu-like) showing conviction
The pattern represents a complete reversal in market sentiment overnight

How to Interpret

One of the strongest reversal signals in candlestick analysis
The gap shows institutional-level buying that overwhelmed the prior selling
Often driven by a major fundamental catalyst (earnings beat, FDA approval, M&A)
Volume confirmation is very important
Price rarely returns to fill the gap created by a true kicker
Most significant after a sustained downtrend

How Engulfy Detects the Bullish Kicker

Engulfy ranks Bullish Kicker as one of the highest-priority patterns in its detection system
Detection criteria: Previous candle must be bearish (Close < Open), current candle must be bullish (Close > Open)
Current candle opens at or above the previous candle’s open (creating a gap above the bearish body)
Both candles must show strong conviction with large bodies relative to their range
Engulfy automatically scans for this pattern across all timeframes

Bullish Kickers are extremely rare. They are one of the highest-ranked patterns in Engulfy's detection system, making them one of the most significant patterns when detected.

Expert References

Steve Nison, Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques — describes the kicker as "the most powerful candlestick pattern" and notes it is driven by a sudden, dramatic shift in sentiment
Gregory Morris, Candlestick Charting Explained — ranks kickers as the highest-conviction candlestick signal
Thomas Bulkowski, Encyclopedia of Candlestick Charts — found kickers to be among the most reliable reversal patterns, though the small sample size (due to rarity) makes statistical analysis difficult

Controversy & Limitations

Very rare — many traders never see a textbook kicker in live markets
The definition of "gap above open" varies (some require gap above the entire first candle including wicks)
Often driven by fundamental news, which means the candlestick pattern is reflecting the news rather than predicting anything
Works best on daily charts — intraday kickers are less meaningful