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OHLCV

OHLCV stands for Open, High, Low, Close, Volume — a set of key data points that describe the trading activity of a stock (or any asset) over a specific time period (like a day, an hour, or even a minute). These values are the building blocks of most stock charts and technical indicators. They help traders understand what happened during a given timeframe and make informed decisions.
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  • O - Open The price at which the asset first traded when the market opened for that period.
  • H - High The highest price traded during the time period.
  • L - Low The lowest price traded during the time period.
  • C - Close The final price at the end of the time period.
  • V - VolumeThe number of shares/contracts traded during that period.

These values can apply to any timeframe: 1-minute candles, daily bars, weekly charts, etc.

Each “candle” on a chart represents one time period (e.g., one day) and shows:

  • The open and close form the body of the candle.
  • The high and low form the wicks or shadows.
  • A green candle means the close was higher than the open (price went up).
  • A red candle means the close was lower than the open (price went down).

Example:

  • Open: $100
  • High: $110
  • Low: $95
  • Close: $105
  • Volume: 1,000,000

This tells us the stock:

  • Opened at $100
  • Hit a high of $110 and a low of $95
  • Closed at $105 (bullish candle)
  • Had strong volume (1 million shares traded)
  • Trend analysis: Rising closes and higher highs often indicate an uptrend.
  • Price patterns: Candlestick patterns (like Doji, Engulfing, Hammer) are based on OHLC shapes.
  • Breakouts: A new high above recent highs (H) with high volume (V) can signal a breakout.
  • Support & resistance: Traders look at past lows (L) and highs (H) to set targets or stops.
  • Volume confirmation: Big moves are more meaningful when accompanied by higher volume.

OHLCV is the foundation of technical analysis. By learning to read these five data points, traders can visualize price action, spot patterns, and make smarter decisions — whether they're scalping in minutes or investing for months.