Volume Value Area High (VAH)

Value Area High (VAH) is the upper boundary of the Value Area in a profile, meaning the highest price level included in the price range where a chosen percentage of total traded volume occurred (commonly 70%, configurable).

A Volume Profile shows where trading is concentrated by price. The Value Area is the “core zone” where most volume traded; VAH is simply the top edge of that zone for the selected profile window.

• Pick your profile window (session, fixed range, visible range, or another defined time period).
• Choose the Value Area percentage (commonly 70%).
• Start at POC (highest volume price node(bin), then expand outward by comparing the next node above vs below and adding the higher-volume side until the target % is reached.

Note: The highest included node becomes VAH (and the lowest becomes VAL).

VAH is commonly used in three connected ways:

• Boundary of value: price above VAH is outside the recent “fair-value” zone for the selected profile and may require a decision between continuation (acceptance) or failure (rejection).
• Acceptance vs rejection test: holding outside value suggests acceptance (potential continuation), while quickly returning back into value suggests rejection/fakeout.
• Support/resistance reference: VAH can behave as resistance from below and support from above because it sits at the edge of a high-participation zone.

• Developing VAH/Value Area: shows how VA boundaries evolve as new volume prints during the session.
• Prior-period projection: some platforms can forward-project the prior period’s VAH/VAL/POC for context (e.g., “reference n periods back”).
• Volume vs TPO labeling: some tools distinguish volume-based VAH as “vVAH” to avoid confusion with time-based (TPO) value areas.

• Treating VAH as the session high. VAH is the top of the value area, not necessarily the highest traded price.
• Assuming VAH is “universal.” VAH depends on profile window, number of rows/nodes(bins), session template, and value area %.
• Ignoring data limitations: volume profile outputs depend on volume data quality; in some markets volume can be proxy/tick-based.
• Using VAH as a single-indicator trade trigger. Volume-by-price tools show past concentration and are best paired with other confirmation methods.