Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Monday, September 28, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 7 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 90 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 43.5% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 22.8%, and below 20 for 33.7%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 43.5% | 120 | 7 | 90 min | 175 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 22.8% | 63 | 11 | 25 min | 55 min | |
| Below 20 | 33.7% | 93 | 5 | 20 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 7 times, with a median stay of 90 minutes and a longest of 175. 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.