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Prior Day High / Low Break

Yesterday's high or low breaks today, and every trader who's been watching it since the open finally has to react.

Jason Parker, founder of TradeScalping.com, pointing at the rule that matters most on this page
“Wait for the close, not the touch. A thin, low-volume poke through yesterday's level with nothing behind it is how you become the target of someone else's stop hunt.”
Jason Parker · Founder
DirectionLong & Short
Timeframe1 to 5 minute charts, most reliable in the first two hours of the session
Best ConditionPrice approaching yesterday's high or low with volume building into it
Risk StyleStructural stop, medium hold

What it is

Every trader with a chart drawn on it is watching yesterday's high and low. It's the one level that doesn't need an indicator to find, doesn't shift overnight, and picks up more attention the longer price sits near it without breaking. When it finally goes, the stop orders resting on the other side of it go with it.

Entry, exit, stop

EntryFirst close beyond yesterday's high or low, or the first retest of that level once it's broken
ExitA measured move equal to the distance from the day's open to the level, or trail once price clears the next reference point
StopBack on the other side of yesterday's level, past the wick that made the break

See it happen

Action
Entry
Stop
Target

An illustrative example built to show the setup’s shape. Not historical price data, and not tied to any specific ticker.

Where it falls apart

A thin, low-volume poke through the level with nothing behind it. Price can tag yesterday's high a dozen times in a session without ever closing past it, and buying every failed poke as a breakout is how you become the money someone else's stop hunt was aimed at. Wait for the close, not the touch.

None of this works without the framework underneath it. Read risk management next, or run your own numbers in the position-size calculator.

Prior day high / low break FAQ

Common questions about trading this setup, answered straight.

What is the entry rule for trading a prior day high or low break?

Entry comes on the first close beyond yesterday's high or low, or on the first retest of that level once it's broken.

How are the stop and target set on a prior day high/low trade?

The stop sits back on the other side of yesterday's level, past the wick that made the break. The target is a measured move equal to the distance from the day's open to the level, or a trail once price clears the next reference point.

What is the biggest risk with trading a prior day high or low break?

A thin, low-volume poke through the level with nothing behind it. Price can tag yesterday's high or low repeatedly without ever closing past it, so buying every failed poke as a breakout means becoming the target of someone else's stop hunt.