ICT Analysis: Monthly Liquidity Hunt and Fair Value Gap – A Classic Return to Equilibrium Looking at the monthly data from January to June 2026, price started at 68.015, rallied to 68.316 in February, dropped sharply to 65.853 in March, then returned to 68.015 and remained there for April, May, and June. This structure is a textbook example of a liquidity sweep followed by a fair value gap (FVG) fill. The February high at 68.316 acted as a buy‑side liquidity (BSL) pool – price likely spiked slightly above that level (not shown) to hunt stops of breakout buyers. Then the drop to 65.853 swept sell‑side liquidity (SSL) below the previous low of 68.015? Actually 65.853 is significantly lower, meaning it also swept any stops placed below the January low. After that double sweep, price returned exactly to the 68.015 level – the original January open/close – and consolidated there. In ICT terms, the market “came back to the scene of the imbalance,” filling the gap created during the rapid move.
1. Identifying the Liquidity Sweep and FVG The move from 68.316 down to 65.853 was too fast to leave a balanced auction. That created a bearish fair value gap between approximately 68.015 and 65.853 – a large imbalance where price fell through without proper retracement. The subsequent rally from 65.853 back to 68.015 filled the lower part of that gap. Notice how price then printed identical values (68.015) for four consecutive months (April through June). This is a strong sign that 68.015 is a order block or breaker block – an area where institutions are accumulating orders. The fact that price did not continue lower after sweeping 65.853 suggests that the sell‑side liquidity hunt exhausted the downward momentum.
2. A Simple ICT Trading Plan for the Monthly Chart On the monthly timeframe, patience is paramount. The double sweep (up to 68.316 then down to 65.853) followed by a return to 68.015 sets up two possible trades. For a long setup: Wait for a sweep below 65.853 – a new low that would hunt remaining sell stops. After that sweep, look for a bullish FVG formed during the drop. Enter long on a retrace into that FVG, targeting the BSL at 68.316 and then 68.500. For a short setup: Wait for a sweep above 68.316 – a new high that would hunt buy stops. Then look for a bearish FVG and short the retrace, targeting 68.015 and then 65.853. Currently, price is stuck at 68.015, so no trade until a fresh sweep occurs.
3. Real Example and Final Advice Consider the move from February to March: the drop from 68.316 to 65.853 left an FVG between 68.015 and 65.853. Price has now returned to 68.015, filling the upper part of that gap. A trader who identified that FVG could have entered long at 66.50 after the March low, targeting 68.015 – a 150‑point move. That is ICT in action on a monthly chart. Now, with four months of consolidation, the market is likely waiting for another liquidity sweep. Watch for a break above 68.316 or below 65.853. Do not trade inside the range. Keep risk at 1% and let monthly closes confirm. Happy trading.
