LOD
Definition
LOD stands for Low of Day — the lowest price a stock has traded at during the current regular session, and a critical reference point for support, stop placement, and momentum in either direction.
Example
“The stock broke LOD at $11.20 on three times normal volume with no bounce — that's the short signal. I entered at $11.15 with a stop above the break at $11.30 and targeted the gap fill at $10.80.”
Detailed Explanation
The Low of Day is a living, updating level — at 9:32 AM the LOD might be the opening print, but by 2 PM it could have been tested and defended or broken multiple times. What makes LOD significant isn't just the number itself but the price action around it. A stock holding above LOD on multiple tests with diminishing selling pressure shows buyers are defending that level — the setup favors a reversal. A stock slicing through LOD cleanly on expanding volume shows sellers are in control — the setup favors further downside continuation.
LOD breaks are one of the cleanest short triggers in momentum trading. When a stock that has been ranging or consolidating finally cracks its session low, you typically get: stop-loss orders from longs triggering (adding selling pressure), short sellers entering (adding more selling), and bids pulling away below the level (less support). This combination can cause rapid price movement in a short window. The key is confirmation — waiting for a clean break with volume rather than a brief wick below and snap-back, which is a fakeout and an immediate short squeeze risk.
For long traders, LOD is where you set your hard stop on intraday positions — if the stock is making new lows for the session, the setup is broken and you need to be out. Watching how price approaches LOD (selling momentum, volume, candle structure) also gives you clues about whether support might actually hold. A stock approaching LOD on light, fading volume after a big down move in the morning is a very different picture from one plowing through LOD in a straight line at 11 AM with 3x normal volume. Read the context, not just the level.