Volume Profile

A volume profile plots how much volume traded at each price level over a chosen period, drawn as a horizontal histogram beside the chart rather than along the time axis. The price with the most activity is the point of control, and the band containing the bulk of the period's volume is the value area. Traders read it as a map of where participants have previously agreed on price: thick areas are where trade was accepted, thin areas are where price moved through quickly. In spot forex there is no central exchange, so the profile is built from the volume your broker or platform can see — usually tick counts or one venue's feed — which means two platforms can show different profiles for the same pair.