Futures Volume Profile

Volume Profile shows volume at price (how many contracts traded at each level). Market Profile shows time at price (how long market spent at each level). Both are valuable and often used together.

Standard is 70% of volume. This is the most common setting. Some traders use 68% (one standard deviation) but 70% is standard for futures.

Use both. Session profile for intraday trading and daily reference. Composite (weekly/monthly) for bigger picture context and swing trading. Check for confluence between them.

Yes, but it's most useful for session-based or multi-session analysis. For scalping, Order Flow (delta, footprint) may be more useful than Volume Profile.

POC is where most volume traded - the price most accepted by both buyers and sellers. It acts as a strong magnet and S/R because many participants have positions there.

Look at the profile histogram. Thick areas (wide bars) are HVN - high volume clusters. Thin areas (narrow bars or gaps) are LVN - low volume. Compare to average volume at price levels.

If price opens outside Value Area and then enters it (crosses VAH or VAL), there's approximately 80% probability price will travel to the opposite VA edge. Use this for targeting.

Keep a list of each session's POC. Mark which ones have been revisited and which haven't. Naked POCs are unfilled - track them as future targets. Most platforms can highlight these.

POC is less reliable on very low volume days, during strong trends (profile elongates), or when there are multiple distributions (double POC). Use context and don't trade mechanically.

VP tells you WHERE levels are. Order Flow tells you if those levels will hold. At VAL: positive delta + absorption = strong long. At VAH: negative delta + absorption = strong short.

Track POC location session-to-session. Rising POC (each day higher) = Bullish accumulation. Falling POC = Bearish distribution. Stable POC = Balance. Trade in direction of POC migration.

FRVP lets you analyze specific moves. Apply it from swing low to high to see where volume occurred during that move. The FRVP POC becomes key retracement support. LVNs show fast-move zones.

Bell curve = Balance. P-shape (HVN at top) = Bullish accumulation. B-shape (HVN at bottom) = Bearish distribution. D-shape (elongated) = Trending. Adapt strategy to shape.

Double distribution means two value areas formed. Identify each distribution's POC. Trade breakout from one distribution toward the other, or trade within whichever distribution price is currently in.

Core calculations (POC, VA, volume at price) can be automated. Signal generation based on level proximity is straightforward. However, context assessment and shape interpretation benefit from discretion.