A small line found on a candle in a candlestick chart that is used to indicate where the price of a stock has fluctuated relative to the opening and closing prices. Essentially, these shadows illustrate the highest and lowest prices at which a security has traded over a specific time period. A shadow can be located either above the opening price or below the closing price. When there is a long shadow on the bottom of the candle (like that of a hammer) there is a suggestion of an increased level of buying and, depending on the pattern, potentially a bottom.