Chart types
Point & Figure charts
Columns of X (rising) and O (falling), one mark per box of price, with a new column only on a reversal of several boxes.
The idea in plain words
Point & Figure ignores time and small moves. Rises are stacked as X's, falls as O's; the chart switches columns only when the price reverses by a set number of boxes (classically three).
How it is calculated
Built here from the closes of the timeframe on screen. Box size: automatic (ATR 14, rounded) or your own value; reversal: 3 boxes by default (⚙).
X column grows while close ≥ top + box; new O column when close ≤ top − reversal × box
O column: mirror imageHow to use it
- Clear support and resistance and breakouts ("double top", "triple bottom" patterns).
- Price targets with the count method (column height × box × reversal).
Drawing conclusions
- Each X or O is one box; columns alternate between X and O.
Example
EURUSD H1, box 0.0010, reversal 3: an X column from 1.0800 to 1.0860 needs a fall to 1.0830 to start an O column.
Prices in examples are illustrative.
Watch out for
- Results change with box size and reversal; the source timeframe matters too.
A little history
One of the oldest charting methods, used by US traders since the late 1800s ("figure charts"); A. W. Cohen popularised the three-box reversal in 1947.
Educational content only. No indicator or pattern predicts the future, and nothing here is investment advice.