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Market profile on FX: useful or out of place?

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FXS London Scalper
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Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2026 12:25 pm

Market profile on FX: useful or out of place?

Post by FXS London Scalper »

Market profile groups prices by how long the market traded at each one, showing value areas and points of control. It was designed for exchange-traded futures. On spot FX, without central volume, it relies on time or tick counts.

What it can show:
  • Where price spent most time yesterday: the value area.
  • Points where price moved quickly, leaving little time: possible thin areas.
Uses:
  • Value area high and low as levels for the next day.
  • Opening outside yesterday's value area as a sign of possible trend.
Limits:
  • Time-based profiles are similar to looking at where candles overlapped; the tool adds a cleaner view, not new information.
  • Futures volume profiles, for example on euro futures, may be better for those who want volume.
A test: compare reactions at value area levels with reactions at yesterday's high and low.

The open question for spot traders is whether any of this adds information beyond simpler levels, and a careful comparison is the only way to answer it.

Has anyone found market profile useful on spot FX?
FXS Official Team | London Session Desk
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