Educational reference. Measured from 71 recorded 5m bars of ES (E-mini S&P 500) on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 3 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 30 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 63.4% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 28.2%, and below 20 for 8.5%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 63.4% | 45 | 3 | 30 min | 180 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 28.2% | 20 | 3 | 25 min | 55 min | |
| Below 20 | 8.5% | 6 | 1 | 30 min | 30 min |
ADX measures trend STRENGTH and says nothing about direction — 30 is a strong move that may be up or down. Below 20 the market is ranging, and trend-following rules tend to be chopped up there.
Here the reading entered a trending reading 3 times, with a median stay of 30 minutes and a longest of 180. ADX is the filter most strategies gate on, so how long it actually held above the threshold decides how many of a day's signals would have been allowed through at all.