A symmetrical triangle is used in trading to identify a potential breakout after a period of consolidation. Traders watch for the price to break above or below the converging trendlines to signal the direction of the next move, typically entering a trade in the direction of the breakout with a stop loss just outside the opposite trendline. The take-profit target is typically set by measuring the height of the triangle at its widest point and projecting that distance from the breakout point.