Educational reference. Measured from 204 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Friday, October 9, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 2 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 107 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 21.1% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 17.6%, and below 20 for 61.3%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 21.1% | 43 | 2 | 107 min | 115 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 17.6% | 36 | 5 | 20 min | 80 min | |
| Below 20 | 61.3% | 125 | 4 | 127 min | 345 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 107 minutes and a longest of 115. 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.