Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 5 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 80 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 38.4% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 18.5%, and below 20 for 43.1%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 38.4% | 106 | 5 | 80 min | 235 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 18.5% | 51 | 8 | 25 min | 75 min | |
| Below 20 | 43.1% | 119 | 3 | 105 min | 465 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 80 minutes and a longest of 235. 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.