Showing posts with label SMC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SMC. Show all posts

Saturday, August 1, 2026

ICT Daily Bias Derived from the Dealing Range | Michael J. Huddleston

Daily Bias is the anticipated direction of the market for the next day. A Bullish Bias is established when the market retraces into equilibrium or a short-term discount level, suggesting a high likelihood that the price will move higher. A Bearish Bias is established when the market retraces into equilibrium or a short-term premium level, suggesting a high likelihood that the price will move lower.

Dealing Range & Premium/Discount Identification: The primary range is measured from the Swing High to the Swing Low. Anything above the 50% line (0.5 equilibrium) is classified as a Premium Zone, everything below as Discount Zone.
Three-Candle Swing High/Low: A valid swing high / low consists of a central candle (Candle 2) whose high/low is higher/lower than both the candle to its left (Candle 1) and the candle to its right (Candle 3), which constitutes a Market Structure Shift (MSS or Change of Character (ChoCh)).
Equilibrium & Mean Threshold: The 50% retracement level of either the dealing range or an order block body defines the exact boundary where price seeks institutional re-pricing before continuing down into lower discount arrays.
Deriving the Daily Bias from the Dealing Range also relates to the concepts of

This is the core framework for determining bias: once price touches equilibrium or short-term discount, anticipate a market structure shift and higher/lower prices over the next one to two days. Even if the immediate next day closes down/up or consolidates, the overall bullish/bearish target remains valid. 
 
  
See also:

Saturday, March 21, 2026

S&P 500 – Bearish Structure and 7% Downside Setup | Justin Bennett

On the 4 hour chart, a bearish Break of Structure (BoS) confirms sellers remain in control, so the focus stays on short setups. Just below current price sits a key daily support level (equal lows), which also functions as a weekly external low—making it structurally critical.

 » On the daily time frame, a fair value gap (FVG or imbalance) stands out as a critical zone for the coming week. 
This gap has not yet been fully mitigated, leaving unfinished business in the market. «
S&P 500 (4 hour candles).

For next week, the primary setup is a rally into a daily Fair Value Gap (FVG) that has not yet been mitigated. If price trades into this area—especially into premium above recent highs—the objective is to wait for a lower time frame Change of Character (CHoCH) before entering shorts. No confirmation, no trade.

 » Price always moves from liquidity to inefficiency and vice versa, or from internal liquidity to external liquidity and vice versa. «

Longer term, a weekly close below the external low would signal acceptance and a higher timeframe shift. That opens the path toward a large unmitigated weekly imbalance, implying roughly a ~7% downside move (toward the 6,000 region).
 
»
The next logical target is a large unmitigated weekly imbalance left behind by a strong displacement candle. 
This zone has never been retested and represents a magnet for price. Projecting into that imbalance suggests a
potential move of approximately 7% to the downside, bringing the S&P 500 toward just above the 6,000 level. «
S&P 500 (weekly candles).
  
In short: bearish structure, wait for a retrace into imbalance, confirm weakness, then target continuation lower.
 
Reference:
[obviously recorded before the March 20 market open.] 
 
S&P 500 (4-hour candles; March 20 market close): bearish 4-hour FVGs and Premium/Discount levels.

Nasdaq (4-hour candles; March 20 market close): bearish 4-hour FVGs and Premium/Discount levels.
 
 
    
See also: