Direct answer: what “low of ten candles” means
In forex charting, “the low of ten candles” usually means the lowest price reached by the candles inside a window of exactly ten candles. To get it, you scan ten candles on your chosen time frame and select the minimum value from their recorded Low prices.
Explanation: inputs and how it works
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Choose the time frame The time frame (for example, 1-minute, 15-minute, 1-hour) controls what one candle represents. The “low of ten candles” is only meaningful relative to that time frame.
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Define the ten-candle window Decide which ten candles to use (for example, the last ten completed candles, or a specific past segment). Consistency matters: changing which candles are included changes the result.
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Use the candle “Low” value Each candle has a Low price (the lowest traded price during that candle’s time span, as shown by the chart data). Gather the Low from each of the ten candles.
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Take the minimum Compute the minimum Low across the ten values. That minimum is the “low of ten candles.”
A common way to write the operation is conceptually: if L1, L2, …, L10 are the ten candle lows, then Low10 = min(L1…L10).
Example and checks
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Example method (manual): On a chart, locate exactly ten consecutive candles. For each candle, note its Low. Among the ten numbers, the smallest one is the “low of ten candles.”
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Example method (software/charting): Use a built-in “lowest” or “lowest low” function with a length/period of 10 on the selected Low series. Ensure the function is applied to the same time frame and the same definition of candles.
Verification checks:
- Candle count: confirm it is exactly ten candles, not nine or eleven.
- Candle closure: decide whether you measure only completed candles. Using live/in-progress candles can change the low during the candle.
- Data source alignment: if you compare two charts, differences in data feed or instrument settings can lead to different lows.
Limitations and risks (what can change the number)
- Real-time change: If you include the currently forming candle, its Low can update, so the “low of ten candles” can move.
- Ambiguity in definitions: Some people use “low of ten candles” to mean the lowest low of the last ten candles, while others may mean a different index (like the ten candles ending at a specific bar). The result depends on the exact window.
- No guarantee of future behavior: The calculated minimum is a historical statistic of the selected window; it does not, by itself, imply future price direction or any outcome.
- Comparison uncertainty: If the chart uses different time zones, sessions, or data feeds, the candle boundaries and lows can differ, which changes the computed minimum.
If your goal is accuracy, focus on making the time frame, candle selection, and “Low” definition explicit, and then compute the minimum across exactly ten candles.