Marubozu: One side wins the whole day
What a marubozu candle tells you about who controlled the day, how bullish and bearish marubozus differ, and when they matter most on NSE charts.
A marubozu is a day one side won outright
Marubozu is Japanese for "close-cropped": a candle with a big body and little or no wick. A bullish marubozu opens at the low and closes at the high, so buyers were in control from the first trade to the last. A bearish marubozu is the mirror image.
What to look for
- A body much taller than the candles around it, with almost no wicks.
- No upper wick on a green candle means buyers never let price slip back from the high. That is conviction.
- It matters most when it breaks out of a quiet spell or comes with heavy volume.
A marubozu after a long run is different: it can be the last burst of excitement before buyers run out. Always check what came before it.
The last candle opened near its low, closed near its high and is far taller than a normal day. What does it tell you?
- Buyers were in control all day and closed it at the top
- Buyers and sellers ended the day even
- Sellers pushed price down after a strong open
Show the answer
Buyers were in control all day and closed it at the top. Opening at the low and closing at the high means every dip during the day was bought. Sellers never got a foothold. That is what a bullish marubozu looks like.
Buyers in control
The stock had been drifting sideways for weeks. On the last day it opened at ₹775 and closed at ₹794, right at its high, on about twice the usual volume. Buyers never gave sellers a chance, and price kept climbing over the next two weeks.
Many traders treat the low of a bullish marubozu as the line in the sand. A close below it means the buyers’ big day has been undone.
Practise Marubozu, free
Reading about it is step one. In MarketSeekho you see a real NSE chart with the future hidden, call Bull or Bhalu, say why, and get graded on your reasoning, not luck.
Common questions
What is Marubozu?
Marubozu is Japanese for "close-cropped": a candle with a big body and little or no wick. A bullish marubozu opens at the low and closes at the high, so buyers were in control from the first trade to the last. A bearish marubozu is the mirror image.Bullish marubozuBearish marubozu
What should I look for with Marubozu?
A body much taller than the candles around it, with almost no wicks. No upper wick on a green candle means buyers never let price slip back from the high. That is conviction. It matters most when it breaks out of a quiet spell or comes with heavy volume.
How can I practise reading Marubozu for free?
MarketSeekho has a free four-page chapter on Marubozu (learn, answer a question, spot it on a chart, then make a call) and daily real-chart practice graded on your reasoning. No sign-up or money needed.