Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
ADX crossed above 25 6 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 137 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 25 for 64.9% of the time, between 20 and 25 for 18.5%, and below 20 for 16.7%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 25 | 64.9% | 179 | 6 | 137 min | 270 min | |
| Between 20 and 25 | 18.5% | 51 | 9 | 20 min | 60 min | |
| Below 20 | 16.7% | 46 | 4 | 47 min | 110 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 137 minutes and a longest of 270. 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.