In ICT (Inner Circle Trader) concepts, market structure is built around how price makes highs and lows.
While basic traders look at general support and resistance, ICT focuses on Smart Money’s intention behind those highs and lows — especially the Swing Highs.
To understand this structure better, ICT categorizes swing highs into:
- STH – Short-Term High
- ITH – Intermediate-Term High
- LTH – Long-Term High
These highs help us read the strength of trends, identify liquidity zones, and predict reversals.
Let’s break them down one by one.
1. STH – Short-Term High in ICT
1. What is Short Term High?
An STH is a swing high that formed recently — usually within the last few hours on lower timeframes like the 5-minute or 15-minute chart.
2. Why it matters:
It captures stop-losses of scalpers and intraday traders.
These are often the first targets in a liquidity grab before price continues moving.
3. Example:
If EUR/USD creates a quick high at 1.0885 during the New York session and reverses slightly, that’s a Short-Term High (STH).
Smart Money may come back to raid that high and then drop the price.
2. ITH – Intermediate-Term High in ICT
1. What is Intermediate Term High?
An ITH is a more significant swing high that has held for 1 to 3 days, seen on the 1-hour or 4-hour chart.
2. Why it matters:
These highs usually carry liquidity from swing traders.
If price breaks above an ITH and fails to hold, it can indicate a liquidity grab followed by reversal.
3. Example:
Let’s say GBP/USD formed a high at 1.2850 on Tuesday, and price stayed below it till Thursday.
That’s an Intermediate-Term High (ITH).
When price breaks above 1.2850, Smart Money may be triggering stop-losses before sending price back down.
3. LTH – Long-Term High in ICT
1. What is Long Term High?
An LTH is a major swing high that forms over several weeks or months, visible on daily, weekly, or monthly charts.
2. Why it matters:
These highs are often final targets for big institutional moves.
Breaking above an LTH without follow-through can signal a long-term reversal.
3. Example:
If USD/JPY hasn’t broken above 152.00 for three months and then suddenly spikes through it — this is a Long-Term High (LTH) being raided for liquidity.
After that, a major drop may occur.
4. Why These Levels Matter in ICT
These highs help us understand the market structure and Smart Money’s objectives.
Here’s how they work together:
- First, price may take out an STH — a quick liquidity sweep.
- Then, it may reach an ITH — clearing swing trader stops.
- Finally, it may hit an LTH — clearing out long-term positions before reversing.
This sequence often confuses retail traders and creates trap entries.
5. Conclusion
In ICT trading, identifying STH, ITH, and LTH can help you:
- Avoid fake breakouts
- Understand when a trend is likely to reverse
- Time your entries based on liquidity grabs
This is advanced market structure — the Smart Money way.
Once you learn to read these highs, you’ll stop trading blindly and start trading with intention.
Would you like an illustrated chart showing these levels in action?
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