Swing highs and lows (STH, ITH, LTH)

What it is

A swing high is a candle whose high is above the highs of the candles either side of it; a swing low is a candle whose low is below both neighbours. Every break of structure, sweep and dealing range is measured from these points.

ICT grades swings by nesting them, not by timeframe. A short-term high (STH) is any swing high. An intermediate-term high (ITH) is a short-term high with lower short-term highs on both sides. A long-term high (LTH) is an intermediate-term high with lower intermediate-term highs on both sides. Lows mirror this.

How to spot it

• Look for a candle with a lower high on each side (a swing high) or a higher low on each side (a swing low).
• Then compare swings with each other: the one standing above its neighbours is the intermediate-term high.
• The same rule works on any timeframe; a long-term high on the 5-minute chart can be a short-term high on the daily.

How to use it

• Use intermediate- and long-term highs and lows as the levels that matter for structure breaks and liquidity; short-term swings break all the time.
• Target the nearest intermediate-term high or low, and treat a break of one as more meaningful than a break of a short-term swing.

Common mistakes

• Treating every tiny three-candle swing as significant structure.
• Marking swings before the candle after them has closed; a swing isn't confirmed until its right-hand neighbour exists.

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