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Fair Value Gaps in Trading

Jun 23, 2025

Summary

  • This comprehensive session provided an in-depth explanation of fair value gaps (FVGs), their identification, and practical usage in trading strategies.
  • Topics included bullish and bearish FVGs, the importance of confluence, inverse fair value gaps, and when to disregard certain gaps based on trend continuation or reversal.
  • The discussion emphasized that FVGs are only one piece of a broader trading system, and combining them with other indicators (e.g., liquidity sweeps, break of structure, order blocks) is essential for effective trading decisions.
  • No new decisions or organizational actions were taken; the meeting was purely educational and instructional.

Action Items

  • None

Understanding Fair Value Gaps (FVGs) and Imbalances

  • A fair value gap is identified as a three-candle pattern: the first and third candles’ wicks do not overlap, creating a price “gap” where there was a lack of buy or sell orders.
  • Bullish FVGs indicate a lack of sell orders in an uptrend; bearish FVGs show a lack of buy orders in a downtrend.
  • The key to FVGs is not just spotting them but understanding why price is likely to move at or from the gap, providing confidence in trade entries.
  • The color of the first and third candles is irrelevant; only the direction of the middle/expansion candle matters.
  • No FVG exists if the wicks of the first and third candles overlap.

Application and Practical Use of Fair Value Gaps

  • FVGs should be combined with other confluences (trend bias, liquidity sweeps, break of structure) for high-probability trades.
  • Example process: identify a liquidity sweep, observe a break of structure, then look for an FVG and consider taking a trade on the retrace into the gap.
  • FVGs act as continuation confluences—best used early in a trend or during the first and second retracements.
  • The size of the FVG does not matter; both large and small gaps can be significant if they fit within the trading context.

Inverse Fair Value Gaps

  • An inverse FVG occurs when the price closes beyond a previously respected FVG, signaling potential trend reversal or a break in order flow.
  • Inverse FVGs are considered confirmation confluences, similar to a break of structure.
  • In a stacked scenario (multiple FVGs on top of each other within a move), the topmost (in a downtrend) or bottommost (in an uptrend) FVG must be invalidated before considering a true inverse signal.
  • Once an FVG is invalidated by price action, previous FVGs within that leg are disregarded in trade planning.

When to Disregard Fair Value Gaps and Understanding Balanced Price Action

  • Once price fills an FVG and makes a new high (in an uptrend) or low (in a downtrend), all FVGs in prior legs are considered “balanced” and can be ignored in subsequent analysis.
  • This rule applies to order blocks and breaker blocks as well: after a new trend extension and retracement, previous confluences within the completed leg lose their significance.
  • Only current-leg FVGs and relevant confluences should factor into ongoing strategy.

Applying FVGs and Inverse FVGs in Live Trading

  • Multiple live chart examples were given showing how to identify FVGs, when to anticipate a reaction, and how to recognize when previous FVGs are no longer relevant.
  • The process is to continuously analyze order flow by marking and tracking FVGs, watching for either confirmation (trend continuation) or invalidation (trend reversal via inverse FVG).

Decisions

  • No formal decisions were made; this meeting was dedicated to education on the topic.

Open Questions / Follow-Ups

  • Presenter mentioned future content on daily bias and the integration of FVGs into a comprehensive trading strategy.
  • Viewers are encouraged to watch prior videos on liquidity sweeps and stay tuned for upcoming materials on order flow and related trading confluences.