EsH / EsL: the European session high and low
EsH and EsL stand for Europe session high and Europe session low: the highest and lowest price of your chart from the moment the European stock market opens until the moment the US stock market opens — on a DAX chart from 09:00 to 15:30 Berlin time, on a FTSE 100 chart from 08:00 to 14:30 London time (one hour shorter in the few weeks a year when the clocks change on different dates). That is the range Europe traded on its own, before Wall Street's traders arrive. When they do, that range is often the first thing price tests. Basics draws both lines on DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX charts: futures (main, mini, micro), CFDs and the official index itself. This page explains what the lines show, when they appear and how to adjust them.
On this page
09:00 · Xetra opens15:30 · US opens
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- 109:05 — five minutes after Xetra opens, FDAX makes the low of the European session: 25,506.
- 210:40 — the high of the European session: 25,673. Until the US open price stays between the two.
- 315:30 — the US stock market opens and Basics draws EsH and EsL, from the Xetra open on. In the very first candle FDAX dips to 25,502, four points under EsL, and turns.
- 417:10 — FDAX trades at 25,624: 122 points above that low.
Part of Basics
Free TradingView indicator with all session, week and month levels for index, futures and CFD charts.
Install Basics (free) →What the European session high and low are
The European stock markets open hours before Wall Street. From their open until the US open, European traders have the market largely to themselves. The highest and lowest price in that window are the European session high and low: the range Europe agreed on before the biggest group of participants of the day joined.
At the US open volume and volatility usually jump. A move that breaks out of the morning range shows that the US session pushes beyond what Europe traded; a move that stops at EsH or EsL and turns shows that the morning range still holds. Either way, the two lines frame the European afternoon.
Which hours count?
| DAX (Berlin time) | From the Xetra open at 09:00 until the US open at 15:30 |
|---|---|
| FTSE 100 (London time) | From the London open at 08:00 until the US open at 14:30 |
| AEX (Amsterdam time) | From the Euronext open at 09:00 until the US open at 15:30 |
| Clock-change weeks | The US open is one hour earlier: 14:30 Berlin and Amsterdam, 13:30 London |
In the few weeks a year when the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates, the US opens one hour earlier in European time (from the second Sunday of March to the last Sunday of March, and from the last Sunday of October to the first Sunday of November), and the window is one hour shorter. Basics follows the New York clock, so you don't have to change anything. Trading before the European open — on futures and CFDs from early in the morning — is not part of EsH and EsL.
How Basics shows them
EsH and EsL are drawn on every supported chart of the European markets — futures (main, mini, micro), CFDs and the index itself — each time with that chart's own high and low of the European session. On a mini or micro future, for example FDXM, you see the high and low of the main future (FDAX), so the lines are the same levels that traders on the big contract see. On a CFD such as UK100 they are the CFD's own high and low; no conversion is needed.
While the European morning is still running, a new high or low can still come. That is why the lines appear at the US open, when the range is final — drawn back to the European open, so you can see where the range began.
| Default look | Light blue, solid, width 2 — both lines |
|---|---|
| Labels on the chart | EsH and EsL (renamable) |
| Switched on by default | Yes |
| Value | The highest and lowest price from the European open until the US open |
| Appear | At the US open, 09:30 New York: usually 15:30 Berlin and Amsterdam, 14:30 London (one hour earlier in the clock-change weeks) |
| Where the lines start | At the European open (09:00 Berlin, 08:00 London, 09:00 Amsterdam) |
| Markets | DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX — all their tickers. Not on the US markets |
| Price on your chart | The chart you are looking at. On mini and micro futures (for example FDXM or FDXS): the high and low of the main future |
| Timeframes | Intraday charts from 1 minute, on seconds charts too, unless the level needs more history than the chart loads; not on daily or higher charts |
| Lookback | 1 — today only (up to 20 sessions, set in the indicator settings) |
The same levels on every timeframe. A 1-hour candle from 15:00 to 16:00 also holds prices from after the US open. Basics only counts prices up to the US open, so EsH and EsL are the same on a 1-minute, 5-minute or 1-hour chart. The price at the US open itself is drawn as a separate line: US RTH O.
The same levels on other instruments
Click a chart to enlarge it.
Why don't I see the lines?
- The US has not opened yet.EsH and EsL appear at the US open — usually 15:30 Berlin and 14:30 London, one hour earlier in the clock-change weeks — when the morning range is final. Yesterday's lines are removed when the new session starts; to keep them on the chart, set the lookback to 2 or more.
- You are on a US chart.EsH and EsL are only drawn on DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX charts.
- You are on a daily or higher chart, or a seconds chart.The lines are drawn on intraday charts from 1 minute. On a seconds chart, a level that needs more history than the chart loads is hidden.
- Price is far away from them.Lines are hidden while the level is more than 5 % from the current price, so they don't squeeze the chart. You can change this under General → Level visibility range.
- They are switched off.Check the EsH and EsL boxes and the master switch Show all objects in 'Session levels' group in the indicator settings.
- Your ticker is not recognised.See the supported tickers — and if yours is missing, let me know: requests are very welcome.
What you can change
Both lines can be adjusted separately in the indicator settings (the gear icon next to Basics on your chart), under Session levels.
| Show / hide | EsH and EsL checkboxes · Session levels |
|---|---|
| Colour, width, style | Any colour · width 1–5 · solid, dashed or dotted |
| Label text | Default EsH and EsL |
| Lookback | 1–20 sessions (default 1: today only) |
| Label size, line end, visibility range | Shared with all lines · General |
Charts and defaults on this page: Basics v11.72.8 · updated 21 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the European session high and low?
The highest and lowest price from the European stock market open until the US stock market opens: on the DAX from 09:00 to 15:30 Berlin time, on the FTSE 100 from 08:00 to 14:30 London time — one hour shorter in the weeks when the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates. Trading before the European open is not part of it.
When do EsH and EsL appear on the chart?
At the US open, 09:30 New York time. Until then a new high or low of the morning can still come, so the range is only final at that moment. The lines are then drawn back to the European open.
Why don't I see EsH and EsL on my daily chart?
A daily candle cannot show which part of the day was before the US open, so the lines are drawn on intraday charts from 1 minute only — and on every one of them at the same price.
Do EsH and EsL work on GER40, UK100 or FDXS?
Yes. On a CFD such as GER40 or UK100 you see the CFD's own high and low of the European session. On a mini or micro future such as FDXS you see the high and low of FDAX.
What is the difference with yesterday's high and low?
EsH and EsL are today's: the range of this morning, up to the US open. Yesterday's high and low are separate lines: PsH / PsL future for the full futures session and PsH / PsL index for the index's regular trading hours.
Related levels
See EsH / EsL on your own chart
Basics is free on TradingView. Add it to any supported European chart — for example FDAX or a UK100 CFD — and the morning's high and low appear at the US open without any setup.