Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 2 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 282 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 40.9% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 16.7%, and below 20 for 42.4%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 40.9% | 113 | 2 | 282 min | 545 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 16.7% | 46 | 8 | 22 min | 70 min | |
| Below 20 | 42.4% | 117 | 6 | 67 min | 265 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 2 times, with a median stay of 282 minutes and a longest of 545. 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.