Technical Glossary / Candlestick Patterns
Spinning Top
A small real body with wicks on both sides. The period moved, then finished near where it started.
Teaching sketch. It shows the shape, not a live quote and not a trade signal.
Definition
A spinning top has a small body, so open and close are close but not identical, and shadows on both ends. It shows a tug of war that did not produce a directional close.
How to identify it
Body clearly smaller than the full range, and smaller than recent bodies, with both wicks visible. A line body is a doji. A missing wick on one side is not a spinning top.
Bullish reading
After a drop, a cluster of spinning tops can be a base, but only a later strong close confirms it. One spinning top is a pause.
Bearish reading
After a rally, spinning tops can be a stall under resistance. The bearish case needs a break of the pause, not the small body alone.
Common mistakes
Labeling every small candle a spinning top, including candles that have only one wick.
Limitations
Small bodies are normal in quiet sessions. The pattern is meaningful when the prior candles were decisive and this one is not.
This note explains the term. A sketch shows the shape of the idea. Neither is a recommendation, a signal, or a comment on any security. Indicator settings and exchange conventions differ. Check the live chart and the contract specification before you use a number.