Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MES (Micro E mini S&P 500) on Monday, October 19, 2026.
RSI crossed above 70 3 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 30 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 70 for 4.7% of the time, between 30 and 70 for 92.8%, and below 30 for 2.5%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 70 | 4.7% | 13 | 3 | 30 min | 30 min | |
| Between 30 and 70 | 92.8% | 256 | 9 | 60 min | 445 min | |
| Below 30 | 2.5% | 7 | 6 | 5 min | 10 min |
RSI compares the size of recent gains with recent losses, so a reading above 70 says buying has dominated the last 14 bars — not that price is high. A long stay above 70 is a market trending up, which is the opposite of the reversal the word 'overbought' suggests.
Here the reading entered overbought territory 3 times, with a median stay of 30 minutes and a longest of 30. A brief excursion above 70 that resolves in minutes is noise on this timeframe. A sustained one is the signature of a trend that is still running, and selling into it is how traders get run over.