Educational reference. Measured from 1020 recorded 1m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Friday, September 18, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 21 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 14 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 50.0% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 19.1%, and below 20 for 30.9%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 50.0% | 510 | 21 | 14 min | 77 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 19.1% | 195 | 37 | 4 min | 16 min | |
| Below 20 | 30.9% | 315 | 17 | 12 min | 66 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 21 times, with a median stay of 14 minutes and a longest of 77. 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.