The head and shoulders pattern is believed to be one of the most reliable trend reversal patterns. The head and shoulders pattern forms when a stock's price rises to a peak and subsequently declines back to the base of the prior up-move. Then, the price rises above the former peak to form the "nose" and then again declines back to the original base. Finally, the stock price rises again, but to the level of the first, initial peak of the formation before declining back down to the base or neckline of chart patterns one more time.