Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Monday, October 12, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 6 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 72 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 65.2% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 27.2%, and below 20 for 7.6%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 65.2% | 180 | 6 | 72 min | 550 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 27.2% | 75 | 7 | 45 min | 125 min | |
| Below 20 | 7.6% | 21 | 2 | 52 min | 85 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 6 times, with a median stay of 72 minutes and a longest of 550. 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.