Educational reference. Measured from 204 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Friday, September 18, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 4 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 150 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 76.0% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 11.8%, and below 20 for 12.3%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 76.0% | 155 | 4 | 150 min | 465 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 11.8% | 24 | 5 | 20 min | 40 min | |
| Below 20 | 12.3% | 25 | 2 | 62 min | 65 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 4 times, with a median stay of 150 minutes and a longest of 465. 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.