Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 3 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 145 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 65.2% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 9.4%, and below 20 for 25.4%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 65.2% | 180 | 3 | 145 min | 720 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 9.4% | 26 | 6 | 17 min | 50 min | |
| Below 20 | 25.4% | 70 | 4 | 70 min | 205 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 3 times, with a median stay of 145 minutes and a longest of 720. 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.