POC, value area, and the first read of a completed profile

A completed session profile is a map of where size traded, not a prediction. Start by locating the point of control — the price with the highest traded volume — then sketch the value area that holds roughly seventy percent of the session’s volume.

Those two landmarks tell you where the market spent its time accepting price. Edges of value matter more than the exact midpoint when price returns the next day. Traders often chase the POC itself; we teach reading whether price is approaching from above or below value, and whether overnight inventory already sits outside yesterday’s range.

Practice on unmarked charts: cover the date, mark POC and value, then reveal the next session’s open. The goal is a calm first read, not a clever narrative. If you cannot name those landmarks in under a minute, slow down before you size a trade off the profile.