---
title: "Swing Trading Examples: 5 Real Setups With Entries, Stops, and Targets"
description: "Swing Trading, Trading Strategy, Setup Examples"
url: https://easyswing.trading/blog/swing-trading-examples
updated: 2026-04-08
---

# Swing Trading Examples: 5 Real Setups With Entries, Stops, and Targets

*9 min read | April 2026 | Tags: Swing Trading, Trading Strategy, Setup Examples*


William O'Neil's study of every major winning stock from 1953 to 1985 -- documented in *How to Make Money in Stocks* (4th ed., 2009) -- found the same set of chart patterns recurring in 95% of big winners before their main advance. **Swing trading examples** are how you build the pattern recognition to spot those setups on a live chart before they trigger -- not after the move is over.

This guide walks through five concrete examples across five strategies: a bull flag, a VCP breakout, an RSI mean reversion bounce, a trend pullback to a moving average, and a bear flag short. Each example includes the screening criteria that flagged it, the entry price, the stop-loss placement, the profit target, and how the trade resolved.

## What a Good Swing Trading Example Teaches You

A useful swing trading example maps setup detection criteria to specific price action, shows the risk-defined entry parameters, and traces how the trade resolved against the original plan. The value is pattern recognition that transfers to the next setup -- not a set of past trades to copy.

Each example below follows a consistent structure: how the screener detected it, the key criteria, an entry/stop/target table, and the outcome. This matches how EasySwing presents live setups, so studying these examples directly trains your eye for real scans.

## Example 1: Bull Flag Continuation

A bull flag is a momentum continuation setup where a sharp advance (the pole) is followed by a tight, orderly pullback on declining volume (the flag). Thomas Bulkowski's analysis in *Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns* (3rd ed., 2021) found that bull flags forming in confirmed uptrends have a 67% upward breakout rate -- one of the highest among short-duration continuation patterns.

**The scenario:** A mid-cap technology company ($3.8B market cap) surges 31% over 19 trading days, then pauses for 8 sessions in a tight channel, retracing 7.2% on volume that runs 39% below the 50-day average. On day 9, the stock gaps up at the open.

**How EasySwing flagged it:**
- RS rank: 91 (top decile of the 2,000-stock universe)
- Price above SMA20, SMA50, and SMA200
- Flag channel depth under 10%
- Volume on consolidation: 39% below 50-day average (drying up)

**Trade parameters:**

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Entry (flag breakout) | $47.20 |
| Stop (below flag low) | $43.80 |
| Target 1 (1.5× pole) | $55.20 |
| Target 2 (2.0× pole) | $60.80 |
| Risk per share | $3.40 |
| R-multiple at T1 | 2.4R |

**Outcome:** The stock cleared the flag on breakout day volume 2.6× the 50-day average. Target 1 was hit in 7 sessions. The remaining position was sold at breakeven when price stalled below Target 2.

Full bull flag entry and management rules: [Swing Trading Strategies guide](/blog/swing-trading-strategies-complete-guide).

## Example 2: VCP Breakout (Volatility Contraction Pattern)

The Volatility Contraction Pattern (VCP), developed by Mark Minervini, identifies stocks where each successive pullback inside a base gets smaller in both depth and volume -- signalling institutional accumulation and seller exhaustion. Minervini writes in *Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard* (2013): "The VCP is the footprint of institutional buying. Each contraction is quieter because supply is being absorbed." His research found over 70% of his winning trades from 1997 to 2007 showed a VCP structure before the breakout.

**The scenario:** A healthcare company in a Stage 2 uptrend builds a 13-week base. Three contractions form: the first pullback retraces 19%, the second 11%, the third 5.8%. Volume decreases on each down-leg. The stock sits 2.9% below its 52-week high at the time of detection.

**How EasySwing flagged it:**
- Contraction sequence: T1 = 19%, T2 = 11%, T3 = 5.8% (each within 60% of the prior contraction) ✓
- Volume declining on each down-leg ✓
- Stage 2 confirmed (price above 50/150/200-day MA stack) ✓
- RS rank: 88 ✓
- Within 5% of pivot high ✓

**Trade parameters:**

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Entry (pivot breakout) | $82.40 |
| Stop (below T3 low) | $77.20 |
| Target 1 (measured move) | $94.20 |
| Target 2 (extended move) | $103.00 |
| Risk per share | $5.20 |
| R-multiple at T1 | 2.3R |

**Outcome:** The stock broke out on 2.2× average volume. Target 1 was hit in 11 sessions. Target 2 was reached 3 weeks later during a sector rotation into healthcare. Full pattern rules and entry checklist: [VCP Setup Guide](/blog/vcp-setup-volatility-contraction-pattern).

## Example 3: RSI Mean Reversion Bounce

Mean reversion setups buy temporarily oversold stocks within confirmed uptrends -- the idea being that sharp dips in strong trends are re-entry opportunities, not reversals. Larry Connors, in *Short-Term Trading Strategies That Work* (2008), documented that buying S&P 500 members when the 2-day RSI dropped below 10 (with price above the 200-day MA) produced a 3-day average return of 2.1% versus 0.3% for random entries across a 12-year backtest.

**The scenario:** A large-cap consumer discretionary stock has been in a Stage 2 uptrend for 11 months. Over 6 trading days it drops 8.7% on no material news -- RSI(14) falls to 28.3, RSI(2) reaches 4.1. The broader market is in a "Ranging" regime. EasySwing flags it as an RSI Reversion Oversold setup.

**How EasySwing flagged it:**
- RSI(14) below 30 on daily chart ✓
- Price still above 200-day MA ✓
- ADX(14) above 20 (trend confirmed, not in free-fall) ✓
- Volume on the down-move declining (healthy pullback, not distribution) ✓
- RS rank: 79 (solid, not collapsing) ✓

**Trade parameters:**

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Entry (next-day open) | $134.50 |
| Stop (below recent swing low) | $128.60 |
| Target 1 (SMA20 reclaim) | $141.30 |
| Risk per share | $5.90 |
| R-multiple at T1 | 1.2R |

**Outcome:** The stock bounced from the swing low the next morning, reclaimed the SMA20 in 4 sessions. The R-multiple is tighter than breakout setups, but the higher win rate in ranging markets makes this the most regime-resilient strategy in the screener. Full methodology: [RSI Mean Reversion Guide](/blog/rsi-mean-reversion-oversold-bounce).

## Example 4: Trend Pullback to Rising Moving Average

The trend pullback strategy buys trending stocks on temporary dips into the EMA9/EMA20 zone -- the area Kunal Desai calls the "Bone Zone." The logic: institutions use dips to the 9-day and 20-day EMA to add to winning positions, creating a self-reinforcing support zone that resolves upward once selling pressure exhausts. Jegadeesh and Titman (1993, *Journal of Finance*) documented that momentum strategies -- buying recent outperformers -- returned 12% annualized over 25 years. The trend pullback entry capitalises on the same momentum while reducing entry price by waiting for a temporary dip.

**The scenario:** A semiconductor stock in a Stage 2 uptrend pulls back 5.4% over 4 days on declining volume, touching the rising EMA20 on day 4. The broader market is in a "Trending Up" regime. No earnings report within 3 weeks.

**How EasySwing flagged it:**
- Price touched EMA20 (Bone Zone lower bound) ✓
- EMA9 > EMA20 > SMA50 > SMA200 (full MA stack intact) ✓
- Volume on 4-day pullback: 31% below 50-day average ✓
- No earnings within 15 days ✓
- RS rank: 86 ✓

**Trade parameters:**

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Entry (close above EMA9) | $176.30 |
| Stop (below EMA20) | $169.80 |
| Target (prior swing high) | $187.50 |
| Risk per share | $6.50 |
| R-multiple at target | 1.7R |

**Outcome:** The stock closed above EMA9 on day 5 of the pullback, hit the prior swing high in 9 sessions. This setup performs best in "Trending Up" and "Ranging" regimes. In "High Volatility" regimes, pullbacks commonly cut through the EMA zone entirely -- skip it when broad market conditions are extreme.

For the indicator context behind this setup: [Best Indicators for Swing Trading](/blog/best-indicators-for-swing-trading).

## Example 5: Bear Flag Short Setup

Swing trading works on the short side too. During "Trending Down" market regimes, bear flags offer high-probability continuation entries to the downside. Research by Osler and Chang (*Journal of Finance*, 2001) found that bearish continuation patterns in stocks with declining relative strength outperformed random short entries by 1.9% over 5-day holding periods across a 10-year dataset.

**The scenario:** A retail sector stock is in Stage 4 decline. Price falls 24% over 7 weeks (the pole), then consolidates for 9 days in a shallow rising channel -- the bear flag. Volume drops 44% below average during the flag (confirming it is a pause, not a reversal). The stock's RS rank is 11 (bottom decile). The market regime is "Trending Down."

**How EasySwing flagged it:**
- Price below SMA20, SMA50, and SMA200 ✓
- Bear flag channel: 9-day consolidation, 5.8% gain on declining volume ✓
- RS rank: 11 (bottom decile) ✓
- Market regime: Trending Down ✓
- Volume on flag: 44% below 50-day average ✓

**Trade parameters:**

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Entry (break below flag low) | $31.40 |
| Stop (above flag high) | $33.90 |
| Target 1 (measured move) | $24.80 |
| Risk per share | $2.50 |
| R-multiple at T1 | 2.6R |

**Outcome:** The stock broke down on day 10 of the flag on 1.9× average volume. Target 1 was reached in 8 sessions during continued sector weakness. Full short setup rules and checklist: [Bear Flag Short Setup Guide](/blog/bear-flag-short-setup-downtrend).

## How to Screen for These Setups Live

Studying examples builds pattern recognition. A daily screening workflow converts that recognition into a repeatable process. Here is the checklist EasySwing applies each evening to filter 2,000+ stocks down to the highest-probability candidates:

**Long setup checklist:**
- ✅ Stage 2 confirmed (price above SMA50 > SMA150 > SMA200, all rising)
- ✅ RS rank 80 or above (80+ for pullbacks; 90+ for breakouts)
- ✅ Volume pattern matches the setup type (drying up during base, expanding on breakout)
- ✅ Market regime is Trending Up or Ranging
- ✅ No earnings report within 2 weeks of planned entry
- ❌ Avoid stocks where the moving average stack is inverted (Stage 4)
- ❌ Avoid breakouts on below-average volume -- unconfirmed moves fail at a higher rate

**Short setup checklist:**
- ✅ Stage 4 confirmed (price below SMA50 < SMA150 < SMA200, all declining)
- ✅ RS rank below 30 (stocks in the bottom decile of the universe)
- ✅ Market regime is Trending Down or High Volatility
- ✅ Bear flag or descending channel pattern identified
- ❌ Avoid shorting stocks with RS rank above 50 -- too much relative strength to short profitably
- ❌ Skip short setups in Trending Up regimes -- the broad market lifts even weak stocks

To build this workflow using a live screener, see [How to Use a Stock Screener for Swing Trading](/blog/stock-screener-swing-trading).

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is a swing trading example?**
A swing trading example shows a specific setup -- entry price, stop-loss, and profit target -- using a defined strategy such as a bull flag, VCP, or RSI bounce. The example traces how the setup was detected, what the risk parameters looked like, and how the trade resolved against the original plan.

**How many days does a typical swing trade last?**
Most swing trades last 3 to 30 days depending on the strategy. Momentum breakouts (VCP, bull flag, cup and handle) typically reach their first target in 7 to 16 days. RSI mean reversion setups resolve faster -- often 3 to 5 days. Trend pullbacks fall in the middle at 7 to 12 days.

**What R-multiple should a swing trade target?**
Most high-probability setups should offer at least 1.5R to 2R on the first target -- meaning the potential profit is 1.5 to 2 times the initial risk. Momentum breakouts typically project 2R to 3R. Mean reversion setups offer 1R to 1.5R but at higher win rates. A trade with less than 1R potential is rarely worth the risk.

**Can these examples be used as a screening checklist?**
Yes. The entry criteria in each example above can be applied directly as a scanning checklist. Before entering any setup, verify moving average alignment, RS rank, volume pattern, and distance from the pivot -- all conditions should pass before entry.

**What is the difference between a swing trading example and a live signal?**
An example is retrospective or illustrative -- it shows what a setup looked like and how it resolved. A live signal notifies you in real time when a stock is entering setup conditions right now. EasySwing converts the patterns in these examples into configurable alerts that fire when a live stock matches your criteria.

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*EasySwing screens 2,000+ stocks automatically each evening for the setups described in this guide -- bull flags, VCPs, RSI bounces, trend pullbacks, and bear flags. For deeper reading on how to manage risk across these setups, see our [Position Sizing guide](/blog/position-sizing-r-multiples-risk-management) and the complete [Swing Trading Strategies guide](/blog/swing-trading-strategies-complete-guide). Scan results are for informational purposes only. See our [Risk Disclaimer](/disclaimer).*


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*This is the LLM-optimized version. [View the interactive page](https://easyswing.trading/blog/swing-trading-examples) for the human-friendly version.*