Continuation Patterns

Pennants

A flag's cousin — a small symmetrical pause that coils before the trend resumes.

A pennant is a close relative of the flag: the same sharp pole, but the consolidation forms a small symmetrical triangle (converging trend lines) rather than a parallel channel. It is a brief coil of indecision inside a strong trend before continuation.

Flag vs. pennant

The only real difference is the shape of the pause: a flag drifts in a tilted rectangle, a pennant converges to a point. Both follow a sharp move, both form on declining volume, and both typically resolve in the direction of the pole. In practice traders treat them almost identically.

pole · small symmetrical pause · breakout
A sharp pole, then a small converging coil, then continuation.

Reading it

The pennant should be small and brief — a few candles of tightening range. Volume contracts through the coil and expands on the breakout. As with flags, a pennant that grows large or lasts a long time is no longer a quick continuation pause and should be treated as a fuller triangle (next lessons), whose bias is more neutral.

Check your understanding

  1. 1. A pennant's pause forms a…

  2. 2. Compared to a flag, a pennant differs mainly in…

  3. 3. Volume through a pennant typically…

  4. 4. A pennant should be…

  5. 5. Pennants usually resolve…

Answer all 5 to check