High

Stock trading dictionary: meaning, example and how traders use it.

Last updated: October 17, 2026

Definition: The high is the highest price at which a security traded during a given period, such as a single session, a week, or 52 weeks; together with the open, low, and close it forms the basic OHLC data shown on price charts.

How the high is measured

For a daily bar, the high is the top price of any trade executed during the session. Most quote services report the regular-session high, covering regular market hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, while some also show an extended-hours high that includes pre-market and after-hours trades. Weekly, monthly, and 52-week highs follow the same logic over longer windows.

On a bar chart the high is the top of the vertical line; on candlestick charts it is the tip of the upper wick (shadow). A stock quote usually lists the day's high alongside the open, low, last price, and volume.

Why the high matters

  • Range and volatility: the distance between high and low measures how far price traveled. Wide ranges signal higher volatility.
  • Buyer exhaustion: a close far below the high shows sellers took control late in the session.
  • Reference levels: prior highs often act as resistance, where earlier buyers who want to break even may sell.
  • Stop placement: short sellers often place protective stops just above a recent high, so a move through it can trigger a burst of buying.

Example of using the high

Suppose a stock opens at $48.00, rises to a high of $52.40, falls to a low of $47.60, and closes at $48.30. The range is $4.80, about 10% of the price, which is a volatile day. Because the close is near the low, the long upper wick suggests buyers pushed price up but could not hold the gains.

If $52.40 is also the highest price in several months, traders may watch it as a ceiling. A later close above it on strong volume could be treated as a breakout, while repeated failures below it would reinforce the level.

52-week highs and new highs

The 52-week high is the top price over the past year and is widely tracked. Stocks making new 52-week highs show strength, and momentum traders often favor them; others see them as stretched. Market breadth reports count new highs versus new lows across an exchange as a gauge of overall participation, similar to the advance-decline line. When an index rises to a record but few individual stocks make new highs, analysts may see narrowing participation as a warning sign.

An all-time high has no overhead supply from earlier buyers, which some traders view as removing resistance. Still, a high is only a record of the past and does not predict the next move. Traders who use highs in their plans often pair them with a stop-loss level, since a failed attempt above a prior high can reverse quickly and trap late buyers.

Frequently asked questions

What is a stock's day high?

It is the highest price the stock traded at during the current or most recent regular trading session.

Is buying at a 52-week high a good idea?

Some momentum strategies do so because strength can persist, but the price may also be extended. It depends on the strategy and risk management.

Does the daily high include after-hours trading?

Usually not. Most sources report the regular-session high, though some display extended-hours highs separately.

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For information only, not investment advice. See the disclaimer.