PwH / PwL index: last week's high and low of the index
PwH index and PwL index stand for previous week high, index and previous week low, index: the highest and lowest value of the official index itself — for example the DAX or the Dow — during last week's regular trading hours, when the stock market was open. Overnight and after-hours trading in futures and CFDs is not part of it. Where yesterday's high and low frame a single day, last week's high and low frame the whole week: levels that the market often respects for days. On a futures chart you can't simply draw them: futures such as FDAX or MYM trade tens to hundreds of points away from their index (the cash-future difference). Basics converts the index's weekly high and low to futures prices with the current cash-future difference, so the lines sit exactly where those levels lie on your futures chart. On CFD and index charts they are shown as they are. This page explains what the lines show, how they differ from the future's own weekly high and low, and how to adjust them.
On this page
Week of 28 Sep startsNew week
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- 1Monday 28 September, 09:00 — Xetra opens and the week starts. The lines are drawn from here.
- 2During Xetra hours the DAX makes its weekly high on Tuesday (25,617.31 at 13:45) and its weekly low on Thursday 1 October (24,831.60 at 10:15). FDAX trades about 139 points above the DAX, so in FDAX prices that is about 25,756 and 24,970.
- 3Monday 5 October — a new week starts and last week's high and low become PwH index and PwL index. They stay on the chart all week.
- 4Thursday 8 October, 09:00 — at the Xetra open FDAX drops to 24,966, 4 points under the line, and turns. By 10:30 it trades at 25,137: 171 points higher.
Part of Basics
Free TradingView indicator with all session, week and month levels for index, futures and CFD charts.
Install Basics (free) →What last week's high and low of the index are
An index is only calculated while its stock market is open: 09:30–16:00 New York time for the Nasdaq-100, S&P 500, Dow and Russell 2000, 09:00–17:30 Berlin time for the DAX, 08:00–16:30 London time for the FTSE 100 and 09:00–17:30 Amsterdam time for the AEX. Its high and low of the week are the highest and lowest values in those hours, from Monday to Friday — the numbers on every weekly index chart.
Many traders keep them on the chart all of the next week. A move back to last week's high or low is a natural place for price to stall, turn or break out — and because a week is much longer than a day, these levels often hold for several sessions.
Index week or futures week?
This is the key difference with the future's own weekly high and low. A future trades almost around the clock, so "last week's high" of a future covers a much longer period than the index:
| PwH / PwL index · PwH / PwL future | |
| Period | Regular trading hours of last week only · the full futures week |
| US (New York time) | Monday–Friday 09:30–16:00 · Sunday 18:00 until Friday 17:00 |
| DAX (Berlin time) | Monday–Friday 09:00–17:30 · Monday 02:15 (01:15 in winter) until Friday 22:00 |
| FTSE 100 (London time) | Monday–Friday 08:00–16:30 · Monday 01:00 until Friday 21:00 |
| AEX (Amsterdam time) | Monday–Friday 09:00–17:30 · Monday 08:00 until Friday 22:00 |
| Overnight and after-hours | Not included · included |
| Source | The official index · the main future |
| Lines start | At last week's first stock market open · at the start of last week's futures trading |
| Default line | Dark red, solid · dark red, dashed |
In the week of the chart above, FDAX made its weekly high on Monday 28 September at 19:10 — after Xetra had closed. That high, 25,806, lies about 50 points above the DAX's own weekly high in FDAX prices. Both levels are explained on the PwH / PwL future page.
Why you don't see them on a futures chart
Draw a line at the DAX's weekly low of 24,831.60 on an FDAX chart and it lands about 139 points too low — the whole cash-future difference away from where the level matters. Basics converts the index's weekly high and low to futures prices with the current cash-future difference, so you can trade them on a futures chart — for example FDAX, or the micro MYM — like any other level. On a CFD such as GER40 or US30, which follows the index, the lines are the index values themselves.
How Basics shows them
PwH index and PwL index are not only for index charts. Basics draws them on every supported chart — futures (main, mini, micro, nano), CFDs and the index itself — each time at the right price for that chart. On YM or MYM, for example, the Dow's weekly high and low are converted with the cash-future difference.
| Default look | Dark red, solid, width 2 — both lines |
|---|---|
| Labels on the chart | PwH index and PwL index (renamable) |
| Switched on by default | Yes |
| Value | The index's highest and lowest value during last week's regular trading hours |
| Where the lines start | At last week's first stock market open (09:30 New York, 09:00 Berlin, 08:00 London, 09:00 Amsterdam) |
| Timeframes | Charts from 1 minute up to the daily chart, on seconds charts too, unless the level needs more history than the chart loads; not on weekly or monthly charts |
| Markets | Nasdaq-100, S&P 500, Dow, Russell 2000, DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX — all tickers |
| Price on your chart | Futures (main, mini, micro, nano): converted with the current cash-future difference. CFD and index charts: the index values themselves |
| Lookback | 1 — last week only (up to 20 weeks, set in the indicator settings) |
Same price as yesterday's high or low? On the first trading day of a week, yesterday is last Friday — and Friday's high or low can also be the week's. Then the label reads PsH/PwH index or PsL/PwL index: one line with both names instead of two lines on the same price. The same happens with last month's high or low: PwH/PmH index.
The same levels on other instruments
Click a chart to enlarge it.
Why don't I see the lines?
- A new week has only just started.Last week's high and low become PwH/PwL index when the new week begins. On an index chart that is at the first stock market open of the week.
- The label shows another name.When last week's high or low is also yesterday's, or last month's, the line is labelled for example PsH/PwH index or PwL/PmL index.
- You are on a weekly or monthly chart, or a seconds chart.The lines are drawn on charts from 1 minute up to the daily chart. On a seconds chart, a level that needs more history than the chart loads is hidden.
- Price is far away from them.Lines are hidden while the level is more than 5 % from the current price, so they don't squeeze the chart. You can change this under General → Level visibility range.
- They are switched off.Check the PwH index and PwL index boxes and the master switch Show all objects in 'Index levels' group in the indicator settings.
- Your ticker is not recognised.See the supported tickers — and if yours is missing, let me know: requests are very welcome.
What you can change
Both lines can be adjusted separately in the indicator settings (the gear icon next to Basics on your chart), under Index levels.
| Show / hide | PwH index and PwL index checkboxes · Index levels |
|---|---|
| Colour, width, style | Any colour · width 1–5 · solid, dashed or dotted |
| Label text | Default PwH index and PwL index |
| Lookback | 1–20 weeks (default 1: last week only) |
| Week boundaries | Thin vertical line where each trading week begins, on by default · Backgrounds |
| Label size, line end, visibility range | Shared with all lines · General |
Charts and defaults on this page: Basics v11.72.8 · updated 21 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the previous week high and low of an index?
The highest and lowest value of the index during last week's regular trading hours, Monday to Friday: 09:30–16:00 New York time for the US indices, 09:00–17:30 Berlin time for the DAX. Pre-market and after-hours trading in futures or CFDs is not part of it.
Why is last week's high of the DAX different from last week's high of FDAX?
The DAX is only calculated while Xetra is open; FDAX trades from early morning until 22:00 and at a different price. In the week of 28 September FDAX made its high at 19:10, after Xetra had closed. See index week or futures week.
Can I see the index's weekly high and low on YM or FDAX?
Yes. On index futures Basics converts them to futures prices with the current cash-future difference. On a CFD such as US30 or GER40 they are shown at the index price itself.
What is the difference between PwH/PwL index and PwH/PwL future?
PwH/PwL index covers the index during last week's regular trading hours only; PwH/PwL future covers the main future's full trading week, including overnight and after-hours trading.
When do the lines switch to the new week?
When the new week starts on your chart. From then on, the week that just ended is "last week" and its high and low are drawn until the next week begins.
Related levels
See PwH / PwL index on your own chart
Basics is free on TradingView. Add it to any supported chart — for example FDAX or MYM — and last week's index high and low appear in your chart's prices without any setup.