Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of ES (E-mini S&P 500) on Monday, September 28, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 7 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 90 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 42.4% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 18.8%, and below 20 for 38.8%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 42.4% | 117 | 7 | 90 min | 180 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 18.8% | 52 | 11 | 20 min | 50 min | |
| Below 20 | 38.8% | 107 | 4 | 67 min | 380 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 7 times, with a median stay of 90 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.