b-shaped profile
A b-shaped profile is a volume or TPO profile with its volume concentrated in the lower part of the range and a thin tail above, resembling a lowercase b. It results from a fast move down that was followed by sustained trading at the lower prices, which is where the POC and value area end up.
Senzoukria · Glossary · Updated September 2026
What the histogram shows
The letter is a picture of the distribution. The vertical stroke of the b is the thin tail of prices that were traded through quickly on the way down; the loop at the bottom is the node where volume accumulated once the decline stopped. On a profile drawn by price, that node holds the point of control and most of the value area.
The site's volume profile guide files the b-shape under long liquidation or acceptance low: positions that were long are sold, price falls, and the market then agrees to keep trading at the lower level rather than snapping back.
Reading the two parts
- The boundary between tail and bulge is usually a low volume node; price returning above it is leaving the accepted zone.
- A b-shape that keeps its value low in the next period suggests the lower zone is being confirmed; a b-shape whose bulge is traded back up through is being rejected. The profile itself does not tell you which will happen.
| Region | Volume per level | What it records |
|---|---|---|
| Tail (upper part) | Low | Prices crossed fast on the way down; little two-sided trade |
| Bulge (lower part) | High | Acceptance at lower prices; POC, VAH and VAL sit here |
In Senzoukria
The Volume Profile (session) overlay on the footprint chart and the Market Profile (TPO) overlay both draw the distribution by price, so the position of the bulge is visible on either. TPO can be set to letters, blocks or bars, with a bracket you choose (30 minutes by default); the hint in the indicator warns that the bracket must be a multiple of the chart timeframe.
The Value Area Position % indicator expresses, per bar, where the close sits relative to VAL and VAH; on a bar that forms a b-shape, a close inside the lower bulge reads as inside value. Session POC (developing) traces the point of control as it settles into the lower node during the session.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a b-shape must bounce because the tail is thin. Low volume above only says those prices were crossed quickly; it does not commit the market to revisit them.
- Treating the letter as a rule about direction. The shape is a description of what already traded.
- Building the profile on too little data. On a fresh session with a few minutes of trades, any shape is provisional.
- Mixing profile periods: a b-shape on a daily session and a b-shape on a 4H bracket describe different auctions and should not be read as the same signal.
Related
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Frequently asked questions
- What causes a b-shaped profile?
- A fast move down that traded little volume on the way, followed by a period where the market keeps trading at the lower prices. The senzoukria.com guide on volume profile associates it with long liquidation: longs are sold, price drops, and acceptance forms low. The thin tail is the fast part; the bulge is the acceptance.
- Where is the POC on a b-shaped profile?
- Inside the lower bulge, since that is where the most volume per level traded. The value area, which by the usual convention holds about 70% of the volume, also sits mostly in the lower part of the range. The tail above contributes little to it.