Educational reference. Measured from 276 recorded 5m bars of MNQ (Micro E-mini Nasdaq 100) on Monday, September 14, 2026.
RSI crossed above 70 8 separate times during the session, and the typical visit lasted 7 minutes. Across the whole session it sat above 70 for 5.1% of the time, between 30 and 70 for 91.3%, and below 30 for 3.6%.
| Band | Share of session | Bars | Separate visits | Median visit | Longest visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 70 | 5.1% | 14 | 8 | 7 min | 15 min | |
| Between 30 and 70 | 91.3% | 252 | 14 | 55 min | 400 min | |
| Below 30 | 3.6% | 10 | 6 | 7 min | 15 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 8 times, with a median stay of 7 minutes and a longest of 15. 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.