Educational reference. Measured from 138 recorded 10m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 2 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 160 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 23.2% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 16.7%, and below 20 for 60.1%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 23.2% | 32 | 2 | 160 min | 170 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 16.7% | 23 | 3 | 80 min | 140 min | |
| Below 20 | 60.1% | 83 | 2 | 415 min | 480 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 2 times, with a median stay of 160 minutes and a longest of 170. 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.