Day Range
The highest and lowest prices at which a stock traded during a single trading day.
Day Range
The day range is the highest and lowest price at which a stock traded during a single trading day, typically within regular market hours (9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time). It's displayed as a range—for example, "$150–$158"—and updates throughout the trading day.
Example
If Apple (AAPL) opens at $155 and trades as high as $158.50 and as low as $154.20 before the close, its day range is $154.20–$158.50. If it closes at $157, traders see that the stock moved within this range during the day but finished closer to the high.
NVIDIA (NVDA) might have a wide day range like $90–$102 on a day when earnings are announced, reflecting strong intraday volatility and changing investor sentiment throughout the session.
How to Interpret It
- Narrow range: Small difference between high and low suggests steady, predictable trading with low volatility during that day.
- Wide range: Large difference indicates high volatility, possibly driven by news, earnings, or economic announcements. Traders faced significant price swings.
- Opening position within range: If a stock opens near the high and closes near the low, it suggests selling pressure during the day. Opening near the low and closing near the high suggests buying strength.
- Compare to average: A stock that normally has a $2 range suddenly spiking to $8 signals an unusual event.
Limitations
- Day range doesn't explain why the price moved—you need to check news or market events.
- It doesn't account for after-hours or pre-market trading, which can extend price movement beyond the official day range.
- A wide range doesn't tell you if the close was near the high or low, which matters for momentum.
- Day range is less useful for long-term investors focused on weeks or months; they rely more on longer-term ranges.
Related Terms
- 52-Week High — highest price in the past year
- 52-Week Low — lowest price in the past year
- Volume — number of shares traded during the day
- Volatility — measure of price fluctuations
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the day range include after-hours trading?
Typically, the day range refers to the regular market hours (9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET). After-hours trades above or below the official range are usually reported separately.
Why do stocks have a wide day range sometimes?
Wide ranges occur during high volatility—driven by earnings announcements, economic news, major company events, or significant market movements. Low-volume trading days can also produce wide swings.
How is day range different from 52-week range?
Day range shows the high and low for one trading day, while 52-week range shows the highest and lowest prices over the past year. Day range helps with short-term trading; 52-week range shows longer-term volatility.