Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 5 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 70 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 46.0% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 21.0%, and below 20 for 33.0%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 46.0% | 127 | 5 | 70 min | 330 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 21.0% | 58 | 12 | 17 min | 50 min | |
| Below 20 | 33.0% | 91 | 7 | 40 min | 170 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 70 minutes and a longest of 330. 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.