Value area high (VAH)

The value area high (VAH) is the upper boundary of the value area: the highest price at which the contiguous range around the point of control still contains the chosen share of traded volume, 70 percent by convention. It is the level above which the period's trading is considered to have left accepted value.

Senzoukria · Glossary · Updated September 2026

Where the boundary comes from

VAH is not chosen; it falls out of the value area computation. Starting at the POC, the algorithm expands upward or downward two ticks at a time, always on the side whose next two levels hold more volume, until the running total reaches the target share. The last upward advance sets VAH; the last downward advance sets VAL. A profile with most volume above the POC therefore has a VAH far from it and a VAL close to it.

  • VAH moves in two-tick increments, except when capped at the highest traded price.
  • On a tie between the pair above and the pair below, the upper side advances first, which means VAH moves before VAL in that situation.
  • As the session develops, VAH can only stay or move, and usually moves in steps rather than smoothly.

Reading price against VAH

  • Price trading up to VAH and returning inside: the upper edge of value held for now, with the volume above it staying thin.
  • Price accepted above VAH, with delta and volume building there: value is migrating upward and the developing VAH will follow.
  • The developing VAH line stepping up during a session shows accepted value extending; a flat VAH while price trades higher shows an excursion not yet backed by volume.
  • Prior-session VAH is a distinct reference from the developing one, and the two should be labelled separately on a chart.

In Senzoukria

VAH is the upper of the two lines drawn by Session VAH/VAL (developing), an overlay in the Profiles & levels group, with its own VAH color parameter defaulting to a green shade and a Value Area % parameter. The line is recalculated from the cumulative session profile at each bar and resets at the session open.

On the heatmap screen the POC / VA / VWAP levels toggle draws VAH and VAL from the Profile history window set in the Volume profile section; its hint states that POC / VAH / VAL follow the profile history you set, while VWAP runs from when the app was opened.

Common mistakes

  • Treating VAH as a resistance level in itself; it is a volume boundary, and whether it holds depends on the flow when price reaches it.
  • Mixing developing VAH with the previous session's VAH without labelling which is which.
  • Comparing VAH across platforms with different value area percentages or tie rules and expecting identical prices.

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Frequently asked questions

Can VAH be equal to the POC?
Yes, when the profile's volume is concentrated at and below the POC so that the expansion never needs to advance upward, or when the POC is the highest traded price. In that case the upper boundary of the value area is the POC itself. A single-level profile has VAH, VAL and POC all at the same price.
How far apart are VAH and VAL usually?
There is no typical figure; the width depends on the instrument, the period and how dispersed the volume was. What can be said is that the width is measured in ticks, is generally even because of the two-tick step, and is bounded by the period's range. The Value Area Width indicator plots this number per bar so it can be compared within one chart.

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