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Glossary — S
See EMA
See EMA (Exponential Moving Average).
Scalping
A fast-paced trading style that aims to profit from very small price movements, holding positions for seconds to minutes. Scalpers rely on tight spreads, fast execution, and high volume of trades.
Selling Climax
An extreme downward price move on very high volume that marks a potential bottom. Sellers exhaust themselves in a panic, creating conditions for a reversal as buyers step in at deeply discounted prices.
Shadow (Wick)
The thin lines above and below the candlestick body, representing the high-to-close/open and low-to-close/open price ranges. Long shadows indicate rejection of a price level.
Shooting Star
A bearish single-candle reversal pattern with a small body at the bottom and a long upper shadow (at least 2x the body). Appears at the top of uptrends, signaling rejection of higher prices.
Short (Short Selling)
Selling a borrowed asset with the expectation of buying it back at a lower price. Short sellers profit when prices decline and lose when prices rise. Bearish patterns provide short entry signals.
Short Squeeze
A rapid price increase caused by short sellers being forced to buy back shares to cover their losing positions, which creates additional buying pressure and drives the price even higher.
Slippage
The difference between the expected price of a trade and the actual execution price. Slippage is more common in fast markets, low-liquidity conditions, and with market orders.
SMA (Simple Moving Average)
A moving average calculated by taking the arithmetic mean of closing prices over a specified number of periods. Each period receives equal weight. The 50 and 200 SMA are widely watched levels.
Smart Money
Institutional traders, hedge funds, and market makers who have the capital and information to influence market direction. Smart Money Concepts (SMC) is a methodology for tracking their footprints in price action.
Spinning Top
A candlestick with a small body in the middle and long shadows on both sides, indicating equal indecision between buyers and sellers. Similar to a doji but with a slightly wider body.
Spread
The difference between the bid (buy) and ask (sell) price. Tighter spreads indicate higher liquidity and lower trading costs. Spreads widen during volatile periods or in illiquid markets.
Spring (Wyckoff Spring)
In Wyckoff analysis, a sharp price drop below support that quickly reverses back into the range, shaking out weak holders. The spring tests supply and often marks the start of the markup phase.
Squeeze
A period of abnormally low volatility where Bollinger Bands narrow inside Keltner Channels. Squeezes often precede explosive breakout moves. Also used to describe short squeezes.
Stochastic Oscillator
A momentum indicator comparing the closing price to the price range over a given period on a 0-100 scale. The %K and %D lines generate crossover signals. Above 80 is overbought; below 20 is oversold.
Stop Hunt
A deliberate price move designed to trigger clusters of stop-loss orders before reversing. Institutions and market makers may push price through obvious stop levels to accumulate liquidity.
Stop-Limit Order
A combination order that triggers a limit order once a specified stop price is reached. Offers more price control than a stop order but risks non-execution if price gaps past the limit.
Stop Loss
A predetermined price level at which a trader exits a losing position to limit losses. Proper stop placement is critical — too tight gets stopped out on noise, too wide risks too much capital.
Stop Order (Stop-Market Order)
An order that becomes a market order once a specified stop price is reached. Buy stops are placed above the current price; sell stops below. Used for breakout entries and stop losses.
Support
A price level where buying pressure historically prevents further downward movement. Support acts as a floor that price bounces from.
Swing High
A price peak flanked by lower highs on both sides. Swing highs define resistance levels, mark potential short entries, and are used to determine market structure and trend direction.
Swing Low
A price trough flanked by higher lows on both sides. Swing lows define support levels, mark potential long entries, and are used to determine market structure and trend direction.
Swing Trading
A trading style that holds positions for several days to weeks, aiming to capture 'swings' within larger trends. Chart patterns are particularly suited to swing trading time frames.
Symmetrical Triangle
A neutral chart pattern formed by converging trendlines where both resistance falls and support rises, creating a contracting range. Can break in either direction, often continuing the prior trend.
Separating Lines
A two-candle continuation pattern where the second candle opens at the same price as the first but moves in the trend direction. Bullish separating lines: bearish candle then bullish open at same level.
Stick Sandwich
A three-candle bullish reversal pattern: bearish candle, bullish candle, bearish candle — where the first and third candles have the same closing price, creating a 'sandwich' support level.
Supply Zone
A price area where selling pressure (supply) exceeds buying pressure, causing price to decline. In SMC, supply zones are identified around previous strong down-moves and act as resistance areas.