Profile shapes: D, P, b and the cluster profile

Volume Profile — Lesson 6 of 11

The shape of the profile tells the story of the balance of power over the range you drew. Most of what you see can be reduced to four basic shapes, each with its own meaning.

From the left: D balanced around its middle, P top-heavy, b bottom-heavy, and a thin cluster with scattered clumps. The golden bar is the POC in each. Illustrative diagram — not real prices.

Shape	When it forms	Meaning
D (balanced)	a market in a sideways range	balance between the two sides and position build-up — POC near the middle
P (bullish)	strong buyers then ranging higher	buy-side accumulation; appears in an uptrend or at the end of a decline
b (bearish)	strong sellers then ranging lower	sell-side accumulation; appears in a downtrend or at the end of a rise
Cluster (thin)	a strong, fast trend	no large accumulation; small scattered clumps along the trend

06 — Lesson 6 of 11

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