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Market breadth tells you how many symbols in the scanner are participating in a move — not just whether a single index is up or down. The Market Breadth page gives you four complementary views of directional participation: a live intraday chart showing how breadth evolves through the session, a current snapshot of all symbols’ candle states, a matrix of the major indices and futures, and a timeframe-by-timeframe breakdown of bullish and bearish counts across the full universe. Together, these surfaces answer one core question before you enter any trade: is the market moving with you or against you?

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The principle behind breadth

In The Strat, the guiding principle is to trade in the direction of the most 2s, and 2s going 3. Breadth operationalizes that principle at a market level. When the majority of symbols are showing 2U on the daily timeframe, the environment favors long setups. When 2Ds dominate, the environment favors short setups. When the market is flooded with 1s, most symbols are compressing — the tape is coiling and waiting for a catalyst to define direction.
Breadth is calculated across the active universe of scanner symbols. It excludes futures (which have their own matrix panel) and filters by market so that equity breadth and crypto breadth are tracked independently.

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Daily breadth chart

The daily breadth chart plots the intraday distribution of candle states — 1, 2U, 2D, and 3 — as the trading session progresses. Each data point represents a snapshot of the full universe at that moment in time, updated continuously. Use this chart to track how breadth evolves through the session:
  • Expanding 2U count — Bullish participation is broadening. More symbols are breaking to the upside as the session develops.
  • Expanding 2D count — Bearish participation is broadening. The sell-side move is gaining width.
  • Contracting to 1s — The market is compressing. Many symbols that were moving have pulled back inside their parent candles, signaling reduced conviction.
  • Rising 3 count — Increased volatility and indecision. Outside candles are appearing across the universe, often ahead of a directional resolution.
Watch the 2U and 2D lines at the open. A session that opens with rapidly expanding 2U breadth and holds it into mid-morning is a strong environment for long setups. A session where 2U count peaks early and starts fading back toward 1s warrants more caution on new entries.

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Current candle snapshot

The current candle snapshot is a grid showing every symbol in the scanner universe alongside its live candle state. You can see at a glance how the full universe is distributed right now — without having to open individual charts. This panel is most useful when you want to:
  • Confirm that the market-wide 2U count in the chart is not concentrated in just a handful of names
  • Identify which symbols have already made their daily move (2U or 2D) versus which are still inside (1)
  • Spot clusters of 3 candles that could indicate recent range expansions across multiple symbols

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Indices matrix

The indices matrix shows the candle state of the four major U.S. equity indices and key futures contracts across five timeframes: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly. Tracked instruments:

Equity indices

SPY (S&P 500), QQQ (Nasdaq 100), DIA (Dow Jones), IWM (Russell 2000)

Major futures

Key futures contracts tracked across D/W/M/Q/Y timeframes
Read the matrix left to right. If SPY, QQQ, DIA, and IWM are all showing 2U on the Daily and Weekly timeframes, the index-level TFC is aligned bullish, and the environment strongly supports long setups. Divergence between indices — for example, QQQ showing 2U while IWM shows 2D on the weekly — signals a less clean environment where selective filtering matters more.
Do not use the indices matrix as a standalone entry signal. Use it as a filter. Even when SPY is in weekly 2U, individual setups still need their own candle confirmation and timeframe continuity. The matrix tells you the backdrop — your setup is still responsible for its own trigger.

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Market breadth panel

The market breadth panel breaks down the current breadth count by timeframe. For each timeframe — Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly — it shows how many symbols are bullish (2U or breaking higher), bearish (2D or breaking lower), or inside (1).
When the Daily and Weekly timeframes both show 2U counts significantly higher than 2D counts, the market has directional continuity on two timeframes. Long setups triggered on the daily with weekly alignment have the highest probability environment behind them.

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Reading breadth before a trade

Use the following workflow to incorporate breadth context into your trading decisions:
1

Check the indices matrix

Open the Market Breadth page and look at the indices matrix. Confirm the direction of SPY, QQQ, DIA, and IWM on the daily and weekly timeframes. This establishes the macro backdrop.
2

Read the breadth panel by timeframe

In the market breadth panel, check the daily and weekly counts. Confirm that the 2U count exceeds the 2D count on both timeframes if you are looking for long setups — or vice versa for short setups.
3

Confirm with the daily breadth chart

Look at the intraday breadth chart. Make sure the 2U count is holding or expanding, not fading. A setup taken when breadth is contracting carries more risk than one taken when breadth is still broadening.
4

Proceed to your setup

If the index matrix, breadth panel, and daily chart all align with your trade direction, you have market-level context confirming the setup. If they conflict, size down or wait for the environment to resolve.