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RockstarMarkets
All glossary
Technical analysis

Volume profile / POC

Volume distribution across price levels (not time). High-Volume Nodes (HVN) act as magnets; Low-Volume Nodes (LVN) act as breakout zones. POC = Point of Control, highest-volume price.

What it means

Volume profile plots volume traded at each PRICE level over a specified period, rotating the volume bars 90 degrees from traditional time-based volume charts. The result: a horizontal histogram showing which prices saw the most/least trading activity. Key concepts: Point of Control (POC, the price with maximum volume — typically a magnet level), Value Area (VA, the price range containing 70% of volume — typical fair-value zone), High-Volume Nodes (HVN, peaks in the distribution — strong support/resistance), Low-Volume Nodes (LVN, valleys — breakout zones where price moves quickly).

Why it matters

Volume profile reveals WHERE most market participants believe fair value lies — distinct from time-based volume which shows WHEN trading was active. POC and HVN zones act as gravity (price returns to them); LVN zones act as voids (price moves through them quickly). Used extensively by futures and equity intraday traders for structural support/resistance identification.

How to use it

Build volume profile on session or multi-session windows. Trade POC and HVN as reaction zones (fade extremes into them, follow trend breakouts away from them). Mark LVN zones as breakout-target levels — price tends to move quickly through them. Combine with traditional support/resistance for confluence.

Take it further

Want a worked example or a deeper dive? Ask Rocky how this concept applies to your specific watchlist or trade idea.

Ask Rocky