Candlestick Patterns

[Strat-O]

I would like to analyze many stocks looking for possible trends. Ta_lib has a bunch of functions that identify candlestick patterns (CPs). Each function basically confirms that the current period matches a particular pattern or not. The Wikipedia entry on candlestick patterns starts with "Some believe", so I take it that these things verge on superstition. Are there other commonly used functions that are better or more reputable than CPs for identifying bull/bear trends?

 

[Arby]

Here is an excellent resource to learn about candlestick (and other) technical analysis indicators.

http://stockcharts.com/school/doku.php?id=chart_school:chart_analysis

Nothing in technical analysis is a 100% for sure thing. There is always some uncertainty. Candlestick patterns in my option are better used for short term predictions. To identify bull/bear trends, you can use momentum indicators (the website I shared with you also has information on such indicators).