5-min Bar Counter for Day Trading

This indicator is purpose-built for intraday traders on the 5-minute chart, delivering clear and automatically resetting bar numbers. At the start of each trading day it returns to “Bar 1,” so counts are always intraday-accurate.

To enhance visual cues, it colors the bars that close on the hour—Bars 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72—in orange, while distinctly highlighting Bar 18 in cyan. Al Brooks’ price-action studies show that by the 18th 5-minute bar in the E-mini S&P 500, there is a better-than-90 percent chance the session’s high or low is already in place, making Bar 18 an important market observation node.

Label density is also adjustable: by default, a label appears every three bars to keep the chart uncluttered, but you can set any interval you prefer. All three label types—standard, hourly, and the special 18th-bar marker—support custom colors, allowing you to tailor the display to your own visual style.