A tool that shows not when, but at which prices the most volume traded. Here is what the POC is, what high- and low-volume zones are, and why price reacts to these levels so often.
A histogram on the side of the chart: how much volume traded at each price level over a chosen period.
POC
Point of Control — the level where the most volume traded.
Strength
Reveals levels you can't see in the candles: that's where big players' limit orders sit.
Weak spot
Depends on the chosen period: a different window gives a different profile.
What it is
Regular volume shows how much traded on each candle. A volume profile turns the same information on its side: it shows how much traded at each price. The result is a horizontal histogram to the right or left of the chart.
The longest bar is the POC (Point of Control), the level with the most volume. Areas of long bars are called high-volume zones; areas of short bars, low-volume zones.
Why price reacts to the POC
At a high-volume level, participants have built up a lot of positions. When price returns there, their limit orders fire: some close at breakeven, some add. Volume at the level jumps, and that often produces a strong price reaction.
Price came back up to the POC, the level acted as resistance and a strong decline followed. Illustrative data.
High-volume zones — price "gets stuck" there and often reverses.
Low-volume zones — price moves through them quickly, with hardly any stops. Good areas for targets.
A POC above price is resistance; below price, support.
How to use it
01
Pick the period
The profile of the last week, the last range or a specific move. It should describe a clear chunk of the market.
02
Mark the POC and zone edges
These are the levels price will come back to.
03
Wait for a reaction at the level
A rejection candle, fading volume on the approach, a break of minor structure.
04
Target the next high-volume zone
Price moves through low-volume zones fast.
The volume profile is especially strong combined with regular levels: if the POC lines up with a horizontal level or a round number, a reaction there is more likely.
Common mistakes
Building the profile on a random window
A profile covering half a trend and half a range shows an "average temperature". Anchor it to a logical period.
Treating the POC as a wall
The level may not hold. You need a price reaction, not just a line.
Ignoring low-volume zones
That's exactly where price speeds up: good places for targets, not entries.
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