How does Kyle Ng tell if the market is trending or ranging?

Before any pattern and before any confirmation, identify what kind of market you are in. A bullish trend prints higher lows and higher highs. A bearish trend prints lower lows and lower highs. Consolidation prints neither, and consolidation means there may be no trade.

The cheat-sheet version of a strong bullish move: a higher low, a higher high, and a candle that closes above the previous high. Two candles in sequence doing that is momentum you can read at a glance. No clear sequence, no bias. No bias, no trade.

This ordering matters. Most traders start with the entry pattern and work backward to justify it. The framework starts with the condition and refuses to look at entries until the condition says which side of the market is even allowed.

Sources: My Updated Trading Strategy (2026)