Previous Volume Value Area Low (pVAL)

Previous Volume Value Area Low (pVAL) is the Value Area Low from the immediately prior completed volume profile, most commonly the previous session or previous day. It is the lowest price level included in that prior profile’s Value Area, where the Value Area represents the chosen percentage of total traded volume, commonly 70%.

A Volume Profile shows where trading is concentrated by price. The Value Area is the “core zone” where most of that volume traded, and VAL is the bottom edge of that zone. pVAL is simply that prior completed VAL carried forward into the current session so traders can compare today’s price action to yesterday’s lower value boundary. Because it comes from a completed profile, it is a historical reference level, not a developing one.

• Choose the prior completed profile window, such as the previous session or previous day.
• Build the Volume Profile for that completed period using volume-at-price data.
• Start at the prior session’s POC, then expand outward through nearby price rows until the selected Value Area percentage is reached. The lowest included price row becomes that session’s VAL.

Note: When that completed level is projected into the current session, it becomes pVAL. Like other profile-derived levels, it can change if session template, row size, or source resolution changes.

pVAL is commonly used in three connected ways:

• Boundary of prior value: price trading above pVAL is still inside or above the prior session’s lower value boundary, while price trading below it is outside prior value and may require a continuation-versus-rejection decision.
• Acceptance vs rejection test: holding below pVAL can suggest acceptance below prior value, while quickly reclaiming it can suggest rejection and rotation back into the prior value area.
• Support/resistance reference: pVAL often acts as support from above and resistance from below because it marks the bottom of a previously high-participation zone.

• Previous-session overlays: some tools and scripts display prior-session POC, VAH, and VAL directly across the current session for comparison.
• Developing vs previous value area levels: many platforms distinguish between developing VAL for the active session and prior completed VAL from the last finished profile.
• Extended “naked” value area lines: some platforms can extend prior value-area boundaries forward until price trades them again.

• Treating pVAL as the prior session low. pVAL is the bottom of the prior Value Area, not necessarily the lowest traded price of that session.
• Assuming pVAL is universal. The level depends on the chosen profile window, Value Area percentage, row size, and session definition, so different settings can produce different pVALs.
• Confusing pVAL with a breakdown signal by itself. A move below prior value is context, not a guaranteed trend. It is stronger when read together with prior VAH, prior vPOC, acceptance/rejection behavior, and broader session structure.
• Ignoring data limitations. Volume-based levels depend on the underlying volume source and platform calculation method, which can vary across instruments and feeds. Some may use trade volume, tick volume, or crypto base/quote volume depending on the market.