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Point of control (POC)

The single price level where the most volume traded within a volume profile.

A volume profile beside a price chartA price line on the left and, on the right, horizontal bars showing how much volume traded at each price; the longest bar marks the point of control and a shaded band marks the value area.52.051.050.049.0timePRICE OVER TIMEVOLUME AT EACH PRICEVALUE AREAwhere most ofthe volume tradedPOCthe single pricewith the mostvolumeLonger bars mean more shares changed hands at that price.
Volume profile, point of control and value area. Turn the chart on its side and count how much traded at each price instead of at each moment. The longest bar is the point of control, and the shaded band around it is the value area where most of the session's business was done.

The POC is the price the market spent the most time and volume agreeing on. It acts as a magnet on pullbacks and as a reference for whether price is accepted above or below value.

A session POC, a weekly POC, and a composite POC over months are all used; the longer the period, the more significant the level.

Example: on a day where a stock traded $99 to $103, 22% of the volume printed at $101.20. That is the POC. A return to $101.20 next morning is a common place to see buyers and sellers fight.

Related: volume-profile, value-area, support, resistance

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