Educational reference. Measured from 1380 recorded 1m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 22 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 17 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 44.1% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 23.0%, and below 20 for 32.9%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 44.1% | 609 | 22 | 17 min | 117 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 23.0% | 317 | 42 | 7 min | 19 min | |
| Below 20 | 32.9% | 454 | 21 | 13 min | 72 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 22 times, with a median stay of 17 minutes and a longest of 117. 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.