Indicators, price
Session Open Line
A dotted line at the regular session's opening price, from 9:30 to 16:00 Eastern.
Latest reading, Friday, November 13, 20260 of 78 (0%)
Its job in a momentum trade
It gives the direction to look in. A momentum long is easier above the open and a momentum short below it.
What it measures
Where the price is against the level the cash session started from. Above the line, anyone who bought the open is in profit. Below it, they are losing.
How it is computed
- The opening price of the first five-minute bar of the regular session (9:30 Eastern).
- Drawn flat until the session closes at 16:00.
How to read it
- A price that leaves the line early and never comes back marks a trend day.
- A price that keeps crossing the line marks a day without direction.
- After a strong move away, a return to the line is the test of whether the move is finished.
How to trade it
- Treat the line as the day's reference level. Longs are easier to hold above it and shorts below it.
- A first retest of the line from above that holds is a common long entry, and the mirror from below is a common short entry.
- A decisive cross after hours on one side is a change of character for the session.
What it cannot tell you
- It is one price. On a quiet day the market can sit on it for hours and every cross is noise.
- These reads are how the level is commonly used. They have not been tested here as trading rules.
Examples
The sessions in the archive that closed furthest from their opening price. They are picked by that rule from 40 archived sessions, not chosen by hand.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
NQ closed 1459 points below its opening price.
15:55O 26896.25H 26906.00L 26718.00C 26744.00last bar; point at the chart to read any other
Monday, November 9, 2026
NQ closed 662 points above its opening price.
15:55O 28029.50H 28046.00L 27991.25C 28004.75last bar; point at the chart to read any other
Friday, October 16, 2026
NQ closed 644 points below its opening price.
15:55O 29364.50H 29414.50L 29353.50C 29379.25last bar; point at the chart to read any other
Recent readings
The reading at the close of each of the last 20 sessions, beside what NQ did that day.
| Session | NQ, open to close | Reading at the close | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13, 2026 | −353 | 0 of 78 (0%) | |
| Thu, Nov 12, 2026 | +324 | 78 of 78 (100%) | |
| Wed, Nov 11, 2026 | +132 | 68 of 78 (87%) | |
| Tue, Nov 10, 2026 | +92 | 38 of 78 (49%) | |
| Mon, Nov 9, 2026 | +662 | 78 of 78 (100%) | |
| Fri, Nov 6, 2026 | −93 | 51 of 78 (65%) | |
| Thu, Nov 5, 2026 | −1459 | 0 of 78 (0%) | |
| Wed, Nov 4, 2026 | +138 | 77 of 78 (99%) | |
| Tue, Nov 3, 2026 | +34 | 75 of 78 (96%) | |
| Mon, Nov 2, 2026 | −584 | 13 of 78 (17%) | |
| Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | −271 | 4 of 78 (5%) | |
| Thu, Oct 29, 2026 | −46 | 9 of 78 (12%) | |
| Wed, Oct 28, 2026 | +62 | 7 of 78 (9%) | |
| Tue, Oct 27, 2026 | +252 | 71 of 78 (91%) | |
| Mon, Oct 26, 2026 | +209 | 76 of 78 (97%) | |
| Fri, Oct 23, 2026 | +93 | 78 of 78 (100%) | |
| Thu, Oct 22, 2026 | −371 | 5 of 78 (6%) | |
| Wed, Oct 21, 2026 | +124 | 70 of 78 (90%) | |
| Tue, Oct 20, 2026 | +94 | 73 of 78 (94%) | |
| Mon, Oct 19, 2026 | −57 | 45 of 78 (58%) |
Questions about Session Open Line
What is Session Open Line?
A dotted line at the regular session's opening price, from 9:30 to 16:00 Eastern. Where the price is against the level the cash session started from. Above the line, anyone who bought the open is in profit. Below it, they are losing.
How is Session Open Line calculated?
The opening price of the first five-minute bar of the regular session (9:30 Eastern). Drawn flat until the session closes at 16:00.
How do momentum day traders use Session Open Line?
It gives the direction to look in. A momentum long is easier above the open and a momentum short below it. Treat the line as the day's reference level. Longs are easier to hold above it and shorts below it.
What was the latest Session Open Line reading?
At the close of the NQ session on Friday, November 13, 2026: 0 of 78 (0%).