Who this entry is for — Anyone already reading price/time in Market Profile who wants actual volume with operational context. CBOT Study Guide, Part VI (1996).
Source: CBOT, Market Profile Home Study Guide (1996), Part VI. Raw:
raw/patrimonio-emiciclo/studio-steidlmayer/cbot/part-06-liquidity-data-bank.
Prerequisites
Distribution process, Operational POC and Value Area.
Two halves of Market Profile
Part I organises price and time; the Liquidity Data Bank (LDB) adds actual volume. The same volume profile means opposite things without context: more volume at the top of an uptrend = continuation; at the bottom of a downtrend = possible change.
Required questions: who is buying or selling? and where are we in the longer move?
The LDB report at each price level shows volume, % of total, CTI1/CTI2 %, and half-hour brackets. CBOT volume is multiplied ×2 (buyer + seller sides): divide by 2 for actual contracts.
CTI categories
| CTI | Who |
|---|---|
| CTI1 | Floor traders (locals) trading for own account |
| CTI2 | Clearing commercial members (house account) |
| CTI3 | Members executing for other members |
| CTI4 | Members executing for the public |
Estimated «outside» participation: 100 − (CTI1% + CTI2%). CTI2 (commercials) routinely buy below value and sell above value; buying above or selling below value → initiating behaviour, possible trend. Dedicated entry → CTI2 — commercial activity. CTI2 «overwhelming» a distribution → flat top or flat bottom (volumetric minus development).
LDB checklist (continuation vs change)
| # | Item | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total volume | High |
| 2 | Volume in top/bottom 3–4 ticks of range | High |
| 3 | Value area (70% range) | High |
| 4 | TPO value area vs LDB value | Medium |
| 5 | Upper vs lower half range volume | Medium |
| 6 | CTI2 activity in value area | Medium |
Quick rules: down distribution + down development → continuation; down distribution + up development → conflict/change; value area at centre → efficient market, ready for new beginning.
Weight the votes: items 1–3 matter more than 4–6. Three strong pluses vs three weak minuses → continuation likely with an interim pause.
Role in the CBOT path
The Study Guide's six parts are cumulative: minus development (Part V) shows flow direction; LDB confirms what the chart suggests and separates strong from weak uptrends. A decision-support tool, not an automatic buy/sell system.
Guiding rule — If volume increases as price moves, the market is facilitating trade and the move tends to continue.
Common mistake — Reading the volume base in isolation, without tying it to the distribution unit in progress.