Large Print
Order Flow Analysis glossary · Absorption, Exhaustion & Imbalances
Definition
A very large volume number that prints at the high or low of a bar, signalling institutional activity at the extreme. At a bar's high, 2,500 contracts on the ask when normal single-level volume is 200–400 means aggressive retail buyers were lifting offers — and a passive institutional seller was absorbing them, distributing supply at a price they consider advantageous (a "cap" signal). The ratio R_extreme = V_extreme / V_adjacent gg 1 confirms the print; the implication is reversal, because institutions would not let so much paper trade at the high if they expected higher prices.
Large Print in plain English
A "large print" is an unusually huge burst of trading volume that shows up right at the top or bottom of a price bar — a fingerprint of a big institution quietly at work. Picture a bar's high where 2,500 contracts trade when a normal price level only sees 200-400: that means eager buyers were rushing in to grab the offered price, but someone big was calmly selling them everything they wanted, unloading a large stash at a price they think is a great deal — capping the rally. Traders confirm it with a simple ratio, R_extreme = V_extreme / V_adjacent gg 1, meaning the volume at the extreme dwarfs its neighbors. The takeaway is usually a reversal: a smart institution wouldn't let that much stock trade at the high if it truly believed prices were about to climb higher.
Learn these first
Related Order Flow Analysis terms
Order Flow Analysis practice questions · Order Flow Analysis flashcards · Order Flow Analysis study guide