How to Read the TradingPit Market Context Panel

Market Context · ~10 min read · Updated 2026

The Market Context panel on the right side of every TradingPit chart condenses seven separate auction-theory readings into a single live dashboard. Each row tells you something specific about today's market shape; combined, they form a complete tactical picture before you ever look at a price chart.

This guide walks through every section in order, explains the colour codes, and shows three worked examples of how to combine readings into a trade plan. If you're new to the underlying theory, the linked articles for each section take you deeper.

Panel Anatomy

Section 1 — Open Type

Static for the day. Compares the day's open price to yesterday's value area: Open Drive (↑/↓), Open Test Drive, Open Rejection Reverse, or Open Auction. Set in the first 15-30 minutes; doesn't change after that. Full guide: Open Auction Types.

Section 2 — Value Position

Live. Compares current price to prior-day VAH, POC, VAL. Four states with intuitive colours: Above Value (green), Upper Value (light green), Lower Value (light red), Below Value (red). Full guide: What is Value Area.

Section 3 — Day Type

Develops as the session unfolds. Compares today's high and low to yesterday's PDH/PDL: Inside Day, Outside Day, Breakout Up, Breakout Down. Full guide: Day Types.

Section 4 — Range vs ATR

Today's range as a percentage of the 14-day ATR. Shown as "42 / 68 pts (62%)" with a progress bar:

• <50% (green) — quiet day, plenty of room left.
• 50-80% (yellow) — normal expansion.
• 80-100% (orange) — most of ATR consumed; reversion candidate.
• >100% (red) — outlier day, news driven.

Section 5 — Weekly Position

Three rows: Tertile of price within prior week's range (Upper / Middle / Lower Third), PW POC position (Above / Below), and W Open position (above/below this week's open). Each adds higher-timeframe context to whatever the intraday picture says.

Section 6 — Monthly Position

Same shape using prior-month range, PM POC, and this month's open. The longest-timeframe bias on the panel.

Section 7 — VWAP SD

Standard deviations of price from session VWAP. "+1.20 SD" means price is 1.2σ above VWAP. Colours: <0.5σ green, <1.5σ yellow, ≥1.5σ red. Full guide: VWAP & Standard Deviations.

Combining Readings — Three Worked Examples

Example 1: Strong Trend (don't fade)

Open Drive Up · Above Value · Breakout Up · Range 85% · Weekly Upper Third · VWAP +1.5 SD

Every signal is bullish, range is nearly used up, and price is at VWAP +1.5 SD. The temptation is to fade VWAP +2 SD if it tags. Don't. On a clean trend day with weekly + monthly trend alignment, mean-reversion plays at VWAP bands lose. Strategy: buy any pullback to VWAP itself; do not short.

Example 2: Pure Rotation (fade extremes)

Open Auction · Inside Value · Inside Day · Range 32% · Weekly Middle Third · VWAP +0.2 SD

Indecision on every timeframe. Inside Day + low ATR usage = fade play. Strategy: sell PD VAH, buy PD VAL, target POC. Skip if range is too tight to clear costs.

Example 3: Reversal Setup (look for VA re-entry)

Open Rejection Reverse · Lower Value · Breakout Down · Range 60% · Weekly Lower Third · VWAP -1.4 SD

Open above VA failed and reversed; price is now back inside VA on the lower half. The 80% rule is in play — likelihood of traversal to VAL. Strategy: short rallies to VWAP or PD POC, target VAL. Cover at VAL or wait for break-down extension.

Update Cadence

The panel re-evaluates every second on each price tick. Open Type is calculated once when data loads and only refreshes when state.date changes. Day Type, Range, all three positions and VWAP SD update live.