Weekly Profile Calculator
Map weekly candle profiles and compare to ICT seasonal tendencies for bias confirmation. Enter values for instant results with step-by-step formulas.
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The weekly profile is classified based on the body-to-range ratio, upper and lower wick ratios, and where the close sits relative to the midpoint. Expansion profiles have body ratios above 60%. Rejection profiles have wick ratios above 40%. The equilibrium (midpoint) divides premium from discount zones.
Last reviewed: December 2025
Worked Examples
Example 1: Bullish Expansion Week - EURUSD
Example 2: Rejection Top Week - GBPUSD
Background & Theory
The Weekly Profile Calculator applies the following established principles and formulas. Foreign exchange markets facilitate the conversion of one currency into another and serve as the largest and most liquid financial markets in the world, with daily turnover exceeding seven trillion US dollars. Exchange rates are quoted as currency pairs, expressing the price of one unit of a base currency in terms of a quote currency. For example, a EUR/USD rate of 1.0850 means one euro buys 1.0850 US dollars. The smallest standardized price movement in most pairs is the pip, typically the fourth decimal place, with a value of 0.0001 per unit for USD-denominated pairs. The bid price is the rate at which a dealer will buy the base currency, while the ask price is the rate at which it will sell. The spread between bid and ask represents the dealer's compensation and varies with liquidity and volatility. Leverage amplifies both gains and losses by allowing traders to control positions larger than their deposited margin. A 100:1 leverage ratio means a one-percent adverse move eliminates the entire margin, making position sizing and risk management critical. Two parity conditions from international economics anchor exchange rate theory. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) holds that exchange rates should adjust over time so that identical goods trade at equivalent prices across countries: S = P_d / P_f, where S is the spot rate and P_d and P_f are domestic and foreign price levels. PPP performs well over long horizons but poorly in the short run due to trade barriers, non-tradable goods, and capital flows. Covered Interest Rate Parity (CIRP) is a near-arbitrage condition stating that forward exchange rate premiums or discounts exactly offset interest rate differentials between two currencies: F/S = (1 + r_d) / (1 + r_f). Deviations from CIRP create riskless arbitrage opportunities that traders rapidly eliminate. Uncovered Interest Rate Parity posits that high-yielding currencies should depreciate to offset their interest advantage, though empirical evidence is mixed and the carry trade — borrowing in low-rate currencies to invest in high-rate ones — has generated persistent returns.
History
The history behind the Weekly Profile Calculator traces back through the following developments. For much of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the international monetary system operated under the classical gold standard, under which each participating currency was fixed to a defined weight of gold, making bilateral exchange rates effectively constant. The system provided price stability and facilitated global trade but constrained governments' ability to respond to economic downturns. World War One shattered the gold standard as nations suspended convertibility to finance wartime expenditures. The interwar period saw attempts to restore gold convertibility, most notably the British return to the gold standard in 1925 at the pre-war parity, a decision criticized by John Maynard Keynes as deflationary. The Great Depression forced widespread currency devaluations and the effective collapse of the international gold standard by the early 1930s. The Bretton Woods Conference of July 1944 established a new order in which member currencies were pegged to the US dollar, while the dollar alone was convertible into gold at 35 dollars per troy ounce. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank were created at the same conference to oversee the system. Bretton Woods delivered exchange rate stability during the postwar growth era but came under strain as US deficits and European dollar accumulation outpaced American gold reserves. On August 15, 1971, President Nixon announced the suspension of dollar-gold convertibility — the so-called Nixon Shock — effectively ending the Bretton Woods system. By 1973, major currencies had transitioned to floating exchange rates determined by market supply and demand, a regime that has persisted. On September 16, 1992, hedge fund manager George Soros shorted the British pound against the European Exchange Rate Mechanism constraints, forcing the UK's withdrawal in what became known as Black Wednesday. Electronic trading platforms emerged in the 1990s and 2000s, replacing voice-brokered interbank markets and dramatically reducing transaction costs for institutional and retail participants alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Formula
Profile Type = f(Body/Range ratio, Wick ratios, Close position)
The weekly profile is classified based on the body-to-range ratio, upper and lower wick ratios, and where the close sits relative to the midpoint. Expansion profiles have body ratios above 60%. Rejection profiles have wick ratios above 40%. The equilibrium (midpoint) divides premium from discount zones.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Bullish Expansion Week - EURUSD
Problem: Analyze a weekly candle with Open: 1.0850, High: 1.0950, Low: 1.0820, Close: 1.0930. Previous week High: 1.0870, Low: 1.0750.
Solution: Range = 1.0950 - 1.0820 = 0.0130 (130 pips)\nBody = 1.0930 - 1.0850 = 0.0080 (80 pips)\nBody/Range ratio = 80/130 = 61.5%\nClose > Open: Bullish\nMidpoint = (1.0950 + 1.0820) / 2 = 1.0885\nClose 1.0930 > Midpoint 1.0885: Upper half close\nProfile: Bullish Expansion\nHigher High: Yes (1.0950 > 1.0870)\nWeek Structure: Higher High
Result: Bullish Expansion | 130 pip range | 61.5% body ratio | Higher High structure
Example 2: Rejection Top Week - GBPUSD
Problem: Weekly candle with Open: 1.2700, High: 1.2800, Low: 1.2650, Close: 1.2670. Previous week High: 1.2780, Low: 1.2620.
Solution: Range = 1.2800 - 1.2650 = 0.0150 (150 pips)\nBody = |1.2670 - 1.2700| = 0.0030 (30 pips)\nUpper wick = 1.2800 - 1.2700 = 0.0100 (100 pips)\nUpper wick ratio = 100/150 = 66.7%\nClose < Midpoint (1.2725): Lower half close\nProfile: Rejection Top\nLiquidity sweep of PWH (1.2800 > 1.2780)\nBearish bias for next week
Result: Rejection Top | 150 pip range | 66.7% upper wick | PWH swept - bearish bias
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a weekly profile in ICT trading methodology?
A weekly profile in ICT (Inner Circle Trader) methodology refers to the analysis of how a weekly candlestick forms in terms of its open, high, low, and close relative to key price levels. The weekly profile reveals the dominant institutional activity during the trading week, whether institutions were accumulating, distributing, or repositioning. ICT teaches that weekly candles follow recurring patterns that can be classified into expansion, rejection, and consolidation profiles. By understanding which type of weekly profile is forming, traders can anticipate likely price behavior for the following week. The weekly profile is one of the higher timeframe tools used to establish directional bias before drilling down to daily and intraday setups.
What are the main types of weekly candle profiles?
The main weekly candle profiles include Bullish Expansion (large body, close near high), Bearish Expansion (large body, close near low), Rejection Top (long upper wick, close in lower half), Rejection Bottom (long lower wick, close in upper half), and Consolidation (small body, significant wicks both ways). Each profile type signals different institutional behavior. Expansion candles indicate strong directional conviction from smart money. Rejection candles suggest that institutional traders absorbed or reversed price at a key level. Consolidation candles indicate accumulation or distribution before a coming directional move. Traders use these classifications to align their bias with the dominant weekly flow.
How do ICT seasonal tendencies affect weekly profile analysis?
ICT seasonal tendencies are patterns that Michael Huddleston (ICT) identified where certain times of the year tend to produce predictable directional moves in specific currency pairs. For example, the US Dollar index tends to rally in certain quarters and decline in others, based on historical patterns driven by fiscal calendars, bond auction cycles, and institutional rebalancing. When a weekly profile aligns with the expected seasonal tendency, it provides additional confluence for trade direction. A bullish weekly expansion during a seasonally bullish period is more likely to continue than one against the seasonal trend. Traders compare the current weekly profile against the expected seasonal direction to gauge whether institutional flow confirms or contradicts the seasonal bias.
What is the significance of the weekly candle midpoint?
The weekly candle midpoint, also called the mean threshold or equilibrium, is the average of the weekly high and low. It serves as a key reference level because institutional traders view prices above the midpoint as premium (expensive) and below as discount (cheap). ICT teaches that smart money buys in discount zones and sells in premium zones. If the weekly close is above the midpoint, the market shows bullish bias. If below, bearish bias. The midpoint often acts as support or resistance during the following week, as traders reference it for continuation or reversal setups. The concept extends to monthly and daily candles as well, creating a hierarchy of premium and discount zones across timeframes.
How do you calculate premium and discount zones from the weekly range?
Premium and discount zones are calculated by dividing the weekly range into quadrants using the equilibrium (midpoint) as the center. The equilibrium equals (High + Low) / 2. The premium zone extends from the equilibrium to the high, and the discount zone extends from the low to the equilibrium. Some traders further divide these into sub-zones: the upper premium zone is the top quarter of the range (75-100%), and the lower discount zone is the bottom quarter (0-25%). ICT traders look to sell in the premium zone and buy in the discount zone, as these areas represent where smart money is likely placing orders. This concept aligns with the institutional practice of buying cheap assets and selling expensive ones.
How does the weekly profile relate to the daily bias?
The weekly profile provides the overarching directional bias that frames daily and intraday trading decisions. ICT teaches a top-down approach where the weekly candle direction sets the primary bias, and traders look for daily setups that align with this bias. If the weekly profile is bullish expansion, daily setups should favor longs. The weekly open price is particularly important because ICT observes that price tends to trade below the weekly open early in the week (creating a discount entry) before rallying in a bullish week, or above the weekly open before selling off in a bearish week. Understanding the weekly profile helps traders filter out daily setups that go against the higher timeframe institutional flow.
References
Reviewed by Daniel Agrici, Founder & Lead Developer · Editorial policy