What is the point of control (POC)?
In one line: The point of control is the single price where the most volume traded during a chosen period, shown as the longest bar on a volume profile.
The short answer
Draw a Volume profile and look for the longest bar. That's the point of control, or POC.
It's the price where buyers and sellers traded the most. In plain words: the price the market "agreed" on most during that period.
A simple example
A futures contract trades for one session. The profile shows, at each price:
- 4,990: 8,000 contracts
- 4,995: 14,000 contracts
- 5,000: 22,000 contracts
- 5,005: 11,000 contracts
- 5,010: 6,000 contracts
The longest bar is at 5,000. So the session's POC is 5,000.
The next day, price opens at 5,015 and drifts down. Traders watch 5,000 to see if price slows, bounces, or cuts through. An illustration, not a forecast.
Why price often returns to it
The POC is where lots of people opened positions. When price comes back, many of those traders react. Some get out at breakeven. Others add more.
That makes the POC act a bit like Support or Resistance. It's also why price that wanders away from a heavy-volume price often drifts back to it.
Different POCs
- Session POC: one day or session. Popular with day traders.
- Weekly or monthly POC: a bigger, slower level.
- Naked POC: an older POC price hasn't revisited yet. Some traders watch these as possible targets.
Why it matters
The POC is an objective price. There's no drawing by eye. Everyone using the same range gets the same number.
It gets stronger when it lines up with a level you already marked, like a recent turning point, or one of the Round-number levels.
A common mistake
Treating the POC as a wall. It's the busiest price, not a guaranteed turn. In a strong Trend, price can slice right through yesterday's POC.
Use the same rule you'd use for any level. Watch how candles behave there, and only count a break when a candle body closes past it. More on reading levels in support and resistance.
The POC changes with the range you pick. Decide your range first, then read the level.
Questions
What does POC mean in trading?
Point of control: the price with the most traded volume in a chosen period.
Is the POC support or resistance?
It can act as either. Above price, it may slow a rise. Below price, it may slow a fall.
What is a naked POC?
A point of control from an earlier session that price hasn't traded back to yet.
Want the next step? We'll walk you through it.
Four free lessons by email, one every few days — each with a 10-minute exercise on a real chart.
Send Me the Free Lessons 4 short emails · No spam · Unsubscribe anytimeOr see the whole method, step by step:
See What’s Inside the Course Try everything free first. Decide when you're ready. · Open the free chart tool (works in the TradingView phone app)One chart idea a day, in plain English. Follow along: