Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 6 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 60 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 24.6% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 34.4%, and below 20 for 40.9%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 24.6% | 68 | 6 | 60 min | 80 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 34.4% | 95 | 16 | 27 min | 55 min | |
| Below 20 | 40.9% | 113 | 9 | 60 min | 205 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 60 minutes and a longest of 80. 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.