Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 4 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 97 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 30.4% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 21.0%, and below 20 for 48.6%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 30.4% | 84 | 4 | 97 min | 175 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 21.0% | 58 | 11 | 20 min | 55 min | |
| Below 20 | 48.6% | 134 | 7 | 75 min | 200 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 97 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.