The 4 Gap Patterns Every Trader Needs to Know (With Real Examples)

Price gaps can make or break your trade. But here’s the thing – not all gaps are created equal. Let’s cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.

The Gap That Matters: Breakaway Gaps

Forget about common gaps filling in 3 days. If you’re gonna study one gap type, make it breakaway gaps. These happen when a stock punches out of a multi-month consolidation on massive volume (50%+ above average). The stock closes near the highs, and boom – a new trend is born.

Real example: Carvana (CVNA) went from penny stock to redemption arc. Feb 2024? +32% gap on 3x volume after reporting its first annual profit. May 2024? Another 30%+ gap on earnings beat. Notice the pattern – both gaps followed consolidation zones.

Continuation Gaps: The Exhaustion Signal

When a stock has already run for weeks and then gaps up again – that’s a continuation gap. Nvidia showed this in Feb 2024 after a 6-week rally. The gap looked bullish on the surface, but the stock needed months to cool off. Key lesson: Extended moves don’t last forever.

The Blow-Off Top: Easiest Pattern to Spot

This is where amateurs get wrecked. Watch for:

• Largest single-day points gain of the entire rally
• Record volume (shorts capitulating + dumb money chasing)
• Multiple gap-ups in a row (7-9 days straight)
• Violent reversal on heaviest volume (the top)

QCOM 1999: Hit $200 after rallying from $6. Dec 29, 1999 = +$39 single day (largest in the move), 142% above average volume, 7-day winning streak. Stock reversed hard.

SMCI 2024: Stock jumped from $300 to $1,000 in one month. Nine straight up days + multiple gaps. Then BAM – reversed on record volume.

The Takeaway

Gaps aren’t random. Breakaway gaps = trend starts. Continuation gaps = trend getting tired. Blow-off gaps = run for the exits. Learn to read them, and you’re ahead of 90% of retail traders.