Intraday Intensity
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Definition
Intraday Intensity weights each period's volume by where the close falls within the high-low range, estimating whether institutional buying or selling dominated the session. It is often expressed as a percentage/oscillator (Intraday Intensity %).
How to read it
A close near the high with strong volume produces a large positive reading (aggressive buying); a close near the low produces a large negative reading (aggressive selling); a close mid-range contributes little. The percentage form normalizes the cumulative intensity by total volume over a lookback so it oscillates around zero. Positive/rising = accumulation; negative/falling = distribution. It is designed to surface 'smart-money' end-of-day positioning.
How practitioners use it
Used as context among multiple indicators — never as a standalone signal to act.
Less common professional uses
It relies on the close's location within the bar, so it is sensitive to closing auctions, index rebalances, and expiry prints that jam the close to an extreme - screen those sessions. It is a close-location cousin of the A/D line and CMF; stacking all three is redundant. Choose one money-flow proxy and confirm with an independent input. On gappy instruments the high-low range understates true information (the gap happens outside the session), so intensity can misread overnight-driven moves.
Sources & provenance
David Bostian (Intraday Intensity Index)
This page is educational content published by Pachira Aquatica Global LLC. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation.