Value Area
The price zone where about 70% of all trading gathered in Market Profile — seen as the price range the market accepted as fair that day.
In plain terms
In the bell-shaped distribution built by stacking TPO, removing the short tails above and below, the middle 70% zone where trading gathered most densely is the Value Area. Think of it as a band saying "today's trading happened mostly within this price range."
The upper end of this band is called VAH, the lower end VAL. Think of it simply as the usual range price stayed in that day.
What it tells you
The Value Area shows the price zone most market participants accepted as fair that day. Price within this band is the usual range; outside it, a move different from usual.
Traders gauge flow by watching whether price leaves the Value Area and returns inside, or stays out and forms a new range.
Formula
Value Area = centered on the POC (the longest-stayed price), the price zone holding about 70% of all TPO the upper edge is VAH (Value Area High), the lower edge VAL (Value Area Low)
What high or low means
Price above the Value Area (above VAH) is trading on the expensive side of usual that day; below it (below VAL), on the cheap side.
When the Value Area stacks steadily upward day by day, the price zone itself is read as rising; downward, as falling. But it is only a trading distribution.
The name "Value" makes it sound like a company's fair value, but it is entirely different. It refers only to the price range where trading gathered that day, unrelated to accounting or earnings, so it should not be confused with the value meant in margin of safety or DCF.
The 70% threshold is a conventionally set figure. The range can vary slightly by analysis tool and setting.
Stocklore does not display the Value Area on charts. Being a professional short-term trading tool, it is defined only so you can understand its meaning when you hear it on market TV or a trading platform.
Metrics to read alongside
See it in real stocks
Search US stocks on Stocklore to see Value and other financial metrics alongside the sector average.
This explanation is for information and reference only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Investment decisions and their consequences are your own.