Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 8 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 15 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 29.0% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 20.7%, and below 20 for 50.4%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 29.0% | 80 | 8 | 15 min | 255 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 20.7% | 57 | 13 | 20 min | 45 min | |
| Below 20 | 50.4% | 139 | 6 | 75 min | 325 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 8 times, with a median stay of 15 minutes and a longest of 255. 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.