OHLC Chart

An OHLC (Open-High-Low-Close) chart displays price movements using vertical lines with horizontal tick marks. Each bar shows four price points: opening price (left tick), high (top of line), low (bottom of line), and closing price (right tick). OHLC charts are similar to candlestick charts but use a simpler visual representation without filled bodies.

Best used for:

• Stock and commodity price analysis
• Forex and cryptocurrency trading
• Technical analysis and pattern recognition
• Intraday and daily price movements
• When simpler visualization is preferred over candlesticks
• High-frequency trading data where space is limited

Common Use Cases

Financial Trading

• Stock market analysis
• Futures and options trading
• Cryptocurrency price tracking
• Foreign exchange (forex) pairs
• Commodity prices (gold, oil, grains)

Technical Analysis

• Price pattern identification
• Trend analysis and confirmation
• Support and resistance levels
• Volatility assessment
• Breakout and breakdown detection

Market Research

• Historical price studies
• Backtesting trading strategies
• Market behavior analysis
• Correlation with volume and indicators
• Risk and volatility measurement

Options

Date/Time

Required - Column containing the time period for each bar.

Each row represents one time period (day, hour, minute, etc.). Must be in chronological order.

Open

Required - Opening price for the period.

The price at the start of the time period. Displayed as a left-facing horizontal tick.

High

Required - Highest price during the period.

The maximum price reached. Defines the top of the vertical line.

Low

Required - Lowest price during the period.

The minimum price reached. Defines the bottom of the vertical line.

Close

Required - Closing price for the period.

The price at the end of the time period. Displayed as a right-facing horizontal tick.

Settings

Hide Empty Values

Optional - Exclude periods with no data.

Increasing Color

Optional - Color for bullish (increasing) bars.

Specify color when close > open (price increased during period).

Decreasing Color

Optional - Color for bearish (decreasing) bars.

Specify color when close < open (price decreased during period).

Understanding OHLC Components

      ┃ ← High
    ━ ┃ ← Open (left tick)
      ┃
      ┃ ━ ← Close (right tick)
      ┃ ← Low

OHLC Bar Elements

• Vertical Line: Spans from low to high
• Left Tick: Opening price
• Right Tick: Closing price
• Line Color: Green/red based on price direction

Interpreting OHLC Bars

Bullish Bar (Close > Open)

• Close tick higher than open tick
• Green color (default)
• Indicates buying pressure
• Price increased during period

Bearish Bar (Close < Open)

• Close tick lower than open tick
• Red color (default)
• Indicates selling pressure
• Price decreased during period

Doji (Close ≈ Open)

• Ticks at approximately same level
• Small or no price change
• Indecision in the market

Long Line (High - Low)

• High volatility
• Wide price range during period
• Strong momentum or uncertainty

OHLC vs Candlestick Charts

OHLC Advantages

• Cleaner: Less visual clutter, easier to see many bars
• Compact: Takes less horizontal space
• Performance: Faster rendering with large datasets
• Tradition: Preferred in some markets (commodities)

Candlestick Advantages

• Visual Impact: Filled bodies show price direction more clearly
• Pattern Recognition: Easier to spot candlestick patterns
• Popular: More widely used in modern trading platforms
• Information Dense: Color + body size conveys more at a glance

When to Choose OHLC

• Displaying many periods in limited space
• High-frequency data (1-minute bars)
• Performance concerns with large datasets
• Personal preference or tradition
• When color distinction is sufficient

Tips for Effective OHLC Charts

1. Choose Appropriate Time Frame:

   • Match time period to trading style
   • Day trading: 1-15 minute bars
   • Swing trading: Hourly or daily bars
   • Investing: Daily, weekly, or monthly bars

2. Data Quality:

   • Ensure chronological order
   • Verify High ≥ max(Open, Close)
   • Verify Low ≤ min(Open, Close)
   • Check for gaps and missing data

3. Color Coding:

   • Maintain consistent color scheme
   • Ensure sufficient contrast
   • Consider colorblind-friendly options
   • Match colors to platform conventions

4. Combine with Other Indicators:

   • Add volume bars below chart
   • Overlay moving averages
   • Show support/resistance lines
   • Include technical indicators (RSI, MACD)

5. Scale and Zoom:

   • Use appropriate Y-axis scale
   • Zoom to relevant date range
   • Consider log scale for long periods
   • Maintain readability

6. Pattern Recognition:

   • Look for consecutive increasing/decreasing bars (trends)
   • Identify long lines (high volatility)
   • Spot doji bars (indecision)
   • Notice gaps between periods

Common Price Patterns

Trending Patterns

• Uptrend: Series of higher highs and higher lows
• Downtrend: Series of lower highs and lower lows
• Consolidation: Tight range, similar highs and lows

Reversal Signals

• Hammer: Long lower line, close near high
• Shooting Star: Long upper line, close near low
• Doji: Open equals close, potential reversal

Continuation Patterns

• Flags: Brief consolidation in trend direction
• Gaps: Price jumps between periods
• Breakouts: Price moves beyond support/resistance

Example Scenarios

Daily Stock Price

Shows daily OHLC data over several weeks.

Intraday Trading

5-minute bars for day trading analysis.

Uptrend with Support

Series of higher lows bouncing off support level.

Volatile Market

Long OHLC lines indicating high intraday volatility.

Troubleshooting

Issue: All bars look the same (no color distinction)

• Solution: Check that Open and Close columns are assigned correctly. Colors change based on their relationship.

Issue: Impossible price movements (low above high)

• Solution: Verify data quality. High must be ≥ max(Open, Close) and Low must be ≤ min(Open, Close).

Issue: Bars are too close together

• Solution: Reduce date range, increase time period aggregation, or increase chart width.

Issue: Missing bars or gaps

• Solution: Enable "Hide Empty Values" to explicitly show gaps, or fill missing periods in source data.

Issue: Cannot distinguish small price movements

• Solution: Zoom Y-axis to focus on relevant price range. Consider using larger time periods.

Issue: Colors appear reversed

• Solution: Verify Close and Open columns are correctly assigned. Green should indicate Close > Open.

Issue: Ticks are not visible

• Solution: Ensure sufficient chart width. OHLC ticks may not render if bars are too narrow. Consider candlestick chart for very dense data.