Concept
Rounding Top/bottom
Rounding Top/bottom, also known as saucer, is a Chart & Candlestick Patterns concept. The Library holds 2 implementations, each one a working definition you can pull into Quant.
Top Rounding Top/bottom indicators
2 total
What is a Rounding Top/bottom?
A rounding bottom, or saucer, is a gradual bowl-shaped reversal: a downtrend loses slope, the lows flatten, and higher lows build until price exits the basin on the upside. A rounding top is the dome-shaped mirror at highs. There is no single dramatic pivot; the pattern is defined by a slow rotation of control from one side to the other, which is why it typically takes far longer to form than event-driven reversals. In the classic description of bottoms, volume traces a matching bowl: heavy into the decline, quiet through the middle, expanding on the right side.
Completion is usually read as the breakout above the rim of the bowl, or below it for a top. Add a shallow pullback after the recovery and the same base becomes a cup and handle; without the handle, the saucer stands on its own.
How traders use it
- As a position-trade reversal entry: buy the rim breakout of a mature saucer, with a measured objective taken from the bowl's depth and the stop under the right side of the base.
- As an anticipatory accumulation approach: entries along the right side as higher lows form, accepting an earlier price against the risk that the basin is still incomplete.
- As a volume check: volume drying up through the middle of the base and expanding on the right side supports the turn, while heavy selling reappearing inside the bowl warns that the base is failing.
Related concepts · Reversal chart patterns
Concept family
Chart & Candlestick Patterns
84 concepts mapped · 46 in the Library
Rounding Top/bottom FAQ
What is the difference between a rounding bottom and a cup and handle?
The handle, and the context. A cup and handle is a rounded base that recovers toward the prior high and then adds a brief, shallow pullback before breaking out, and it is usually framed as a continuation pattern within a larger advance. A rounding bottom is the bare saucer, commonly a standalone reversal of a downtrend, completed when price clears the rim with no handle required.
How long does a rounding bottom take to form?
Longer than most patterns, by design: the gradual flattening of the lows is the identifying trait, so genuine saucers on daily or weekly charts commonly span many weeks to months. There is no fixed bar count, and the same geometry appears proportionally faster intraday. A base that turns sharply within a few bars is better described as a V-reversal than a rounding bottom.
Build Rounding Top/bottom your way.
Quant writes, tests, and refines it with you — then it runs on LuxAlgo charting or ports to TradingView.