Elliott wave count: OHLC does not reveal the order of intrabar extremes
Use two possible price paths to see why one candle can leave a wave sequence unresolved.
Published: (UTC+3)
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An OHLC candle records the open, high, low and close for an interval. It does not ordinarily include the complete sequence of trades inside that interval. An Elliott wave interpretation that depends on whether the high occurred before the low may therefore need more detailed data.
Write one candle
Consider an invented candle with open 100, high 120, low 90 and close 110. These four values establish the price range and endpoints. They do not say whether price first rose to 120 and then fell to 90, or first fell to 90 and then rose to 120.
Construct two compatible paths
One possible path is 100 → 120 → 90 → 110. Another is 100 → 90 → 120 → 110. Both have the same OHLC values. They imply a different order for the two extremes, so a proposed sequence of small turning points cannot be established from the four candle values alone.
Inspect finer observations when available
A supported finer-interval source may resolve the order. Record its provider, timestamps and coverage, and verify that it refers to the same instrument and session. Finer candles can still contain their own unresolved intrabar order; a smaller interval does not automatically become a complete trade-by-trade record.
Preserve the ambiguity
If the necessary detail is unavailable, identify the competing sequences rather than choosing the one that makes the preferred pattern fit. Keep the larger-level analysis separate from the unresolved local order. A useful result explains exactly which conclusion depends on the missing information.
Can the candle 100 / 120 / 90 / 110 prove that the high preceded the low?
No. Both example paths reproduce that candle. More detailed observations are needed to establish the order of the extremes.