Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 5 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 100 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 48.2% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 19.2%, and below 20 for 32.6%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 48.2% | 133 | 5 | 100 min | 345 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 19.2% | 53 | 10 | 27 min | 45 min | |
| Below 20 | 32.6% | 90 | 5 | 75 min | 195 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 100 minutes and a longest of 345. 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.