Educational reference. Measured from 204 recorded 5m bars of ES (E-mini S&P 500) on Friday, October 2, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 5 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 95 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 39.2% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 22.1%, and below 20 for 38.7%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 39.2% | 80 | 5 | 95 min | 135 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 22.1% | 45 | 10 | 17 min | 55 min | |
| Below 20 | 38.7% | 79 | 5 | 60 min | 185 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 5 times, with a median stay of 95 minutes and a longest of 135. 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.