Mastering the Opening Range Breakout (ORB) Strategy
9:15-9:30 - The candle setting your day's direction
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On NSE and BSE, the regular session opens at 09:15 IST. The first 15 minutes, from 09:15 to 09:30, are unlike any other window in the trading day.
Overnight global cues, pre-market order flow, and institutional positioning all collide in this narrow slot.
The result is concentrated uncertainty, and from that uncertainty, a fairly clear structure emerges: the Opening Range.
The high and low of this 15-minute window become the two most important price levels of the session.
The Signal
The ORB setup is built on one rule: wait for a candle to close beyond the range, not just touch it.
A close above the ORB high signals bullish momentum.
A close below the ORB low signals bearish momentum.
Many traders go further and require the full candle body to close beyond the level, not just a wick. Touches and spikes produce false starts consistently. The close requirement is essentially what filters out the noise.
Entry and Stop Loss
Long: Enter after a candle closes above the ORB high. Stop loss sits below the ORB low.
Short: Enter after a candle closes below the ORB low. Stop loss sits above the ORB high.
The range itself becomes your reference map for the session.
Targets are set at the nearest resistance on the 15-minute chart for longs, and nearest support for shorts.
Confirmation Filters: Volume and VWAP
A breakout signal is only as good as the evidence behind it. Two filters matter most here.
Volume is the primary check. The breakout candle should close beyond the ORB boundary on at least 1.5x the average volume of the opening 15-minute period. High volume means institutions are driving the move. Low-volume breakouts fail regularly because there is just not enough force to sustain them.
VWAP tells you whether you are trading with or against institutional flow. Price above VWAP means buyers are in control, price below means sellers are. A long breakout with price sitting below VWAP is generally a lower-probability trade since you are basically fighting the institutional benchmark.
When volume confirms and VWAP aligns, the setup has real structure behind it. When they diverge, it is usually worth sitting out.
Check the video below to know exactly how to use this strategy in the market
Disclaimer:
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