Session high and low
The highest and lowest prices reached during a trading session — the two levels most traders are watching next.
Full explanation
The session high and session low are simply the extremes of a session: the Asian range, the London morning, the New York afternoon. They are not calculated or subjective — the market prints them.
They matter because everyone can see them. Orders cluster around them: stops sitting above the high and below the low, and new entries waiting for a break of either. That concentration is what makes them react.
The Asian session high and low are the most commonly used, because London frequently opens by breaking one of them, either into a genuine move or into a false break that returns inside the range.
Why traders watch it
They give free, objective reference points for the day. Most session plans are built on "above the high" or "below the low" rather than on an opinion about direction.
Trading considerations
- Mark the previous session's high and low before you start.
- Expect a reaction at these levels, not necessarily a reversal.
- A break that holds beyond the session high is meaningful; one that snaps back is a false break.
- Remember your stop may sit exactly where everyone else's does.
Educational guidance only — never a trading signal or recommendation.
London opens on the Asian high
The Asian session leaves a high at 1.0865 and a low at 1.0840. At the London open price pushes to 1.0872, holds above the old high for three candles and continues. The session high provided the trigger, the reference, and the level for the stop — all before any opinion about direction was needed.
Related indicators
Range edge
The upper or lower boundary of a trading range — where price has repeatedly turned back.
Key level
A price area the market has clearly reacted to before, and is therefore likely to be watched again.
Breakout
A breakout occurs when price moves decisively beyond a defined level such as a range high, trendline or consolidation boundary. It signals that the balance between buyers and sellers has shifted and can start a sustained move. Breakouts also fail often, so traders look for confirmation through follow-through, expanding range and a successful retest of the broken level.