Market Structure Break & Shift
MSB happens during continuation; MSS signals a reversal after price hits a higher-timeframe POI.
Both describe price breaking a level. The difference is direction. A Market Structure Break (MSB) happens along the trend (continuation). A Market Structure Shift (MSS) happens against the current trend and signals a reversal.
A break only counts when taken out
While price is still approaching a swing high/low, it is NOT yet a break. It only becomes an MSB/MSS once that level is actually taken out.
Price is in a bullish trend, making higher highs and higher lows.
Spot it: HH + HL = the trend is up.
A bearish trend breaks the same way, just downward: break a swing low, retrace, break the next swing low, again and again. That pullback between two breaks is called a retracement. Break, retrace, break is the rhythm of a trend.
Think of the POI like a wall or a floor: when price hits a higher-timeframe point of interest (what retail calls support/resistance), it can react or reverse, like a ball bouncing off the floor or ceiling. The MSS confirms the reversal; afterwards, breaks along the NEW trend are MSBs again. These POIs are also called premium & discount arrays (PDRAs), and we cover them in later topics.
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