Open, High, Low, Close
The four prices that summarise a trading period: the first trade, the highest, the lowest and the last.
Formula
Range = High - Low; Change = Close - Open; True Range also considers the previous Close
Unit
₹
In depth
OHLC is the standard compression of a period's trading into four numbers, and every chart type and nearly every indicator is built from some combination of them. Considerable information is lost: the order in which the high and low occurred, how much volume traded at each price, and whether the range was one spike or continuous movement. The close is treated as the most important of the four because it is the price at which positions are marked and settled, which is why most indicators use it. In India the official close is a thirty-minute volume-weighted average rather than the last trade, so charting data may differ slightly from exchange records.
Worked example
Open ₹500, high ₹512, low ₹494, close ₹504. The range is 512 - 494 = ₹18 and the net change is +₹4. Two very different sessions — a steady climb and a violent whipsaw — can produce exactly these four numbers.
Illustrative figures, chosen so the arithmetic is easy to follow. Not a live price and not a valuation of any company.
Educational reference only
This entry explains what “Open, High, Low, Close” means. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any numbers above are illustrative, not live prices, and nothing here predicts price direction or rates a stock. Consider your own circumstances and consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before acting.