Educational reference. Measured from 204 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Friday, October 16, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 2 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 182 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 35.8% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 14.7%, and below 20 for 49.5%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 35.8% | 73 | 2 | 182 min | 320 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 14.7% | 30 | 5 | 20 min | 50 min | |
| Below 20 | 49.5% | 101 | 3 | 210 min | 280 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 182 minutes and a longest of 320. 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.