Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of ES (E-mini S&P 500) on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 4 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 85 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 26.4% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 12.0%, and below 20 for 61.6%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 26.4% | 73 | 4 | 85 min | 160 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 12.0% | 33 | 7 | 25 min | 35 min | |
| Below 20 | 61.6% | 170 | 4 | 110 min | 620 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 4 times, with a median stay of 85 minutes and a longest of 160. 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.