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QUARTERLY THEORY · March 26, 2026

Why Q1 to Q4 matters more than the candle

Candles matter, but they matter inside time. Quarterly Theory gives each part of the session a role so you are not reading every wick in isolation.

Time frames the move

Q1 builds the condition

Q1 often shows the early range and where liquidity is resting. It is the map, not the main trade.

Q2 creates the mistake

Q2 is where traders tend to chase. It can create the move that feels like confirmation but is actually setting up liquidity for the real move.

Q3 is where delivery matters

When price displaces in Q3, the move has context. You can look for continuation or reversal only after the earlier phases make sense.

Q4 is not a fresh start

Late-session trades should be filtered harder. If the main delivery already happened, Q4 can become cleanup, not opportunity.

The practical shift

Stop asking what one candle means by itself. Ask which quarter the candle belongs to and what job that phase is likely doing.

That one filter removes many forced trades because a good-looking pattern in the wrong phase is often just noise.