Overview
The opening range is the high and low of the first defined window of the session, commonly 5, 15 or 30 minutes. The break of that range is the trade.
How it works
Wait for the window to complete, mark both extremes, then take the first clean break with a stop on the other side of the range.
Typical setup
- Range completed without trading it
- Break with volume expansion
- Stop inside the range
Advantages
- Completely mechanical
- Removes the noisy first minutes
- Easy to journal and review
Risks
- Wide ranges force wide stops
- Days with no follow-through produce false breaks
Common mistakes
- Front-running the range
- Taking every re-break of the same level
Risk management notes
Cap attempts at one or two per instrument per session.
This guide is educational. It is not a signal service, a recommendation, or a claim that this strategy is profitable. Trading involves substantial risk of loss.