Updated · BreakPoint Research Desk
CPR (central pivot range) is a band of three levels calculated from the previous session’s high, low and close: Pivot = (H + L + C) ÷ 3, Bottom Central (BC) = (H + L) ÷ 2, and Top Central (TC) = 2 × Pivot − BC (swap TC and BC if TC comes out lower). Standard pivot supports and resistances such as R1 = 2 × Pivot − L and S1 = 2 × Pivot − H are usually plotted with it.
Traders read the band two ways: its width — a narrow CPR is often associated with trending days and a wide CPR with sideways days — and price’s position relative to it, with opening above the CPR seen as bullish context and below it as bearish. CPR levels are areas to watch, not automatic entries.
Key takeaways
| Level | Formula |
|---|---|
| Pivot (P) | (High + Low + Close) ÷ 3 |
| Bottom Central (BC) | (High + Low) ÷ 2 |
| Top Central (TC) | 2 × P − BC (if TC < BC, swap them) |
| R1 | 2 × P − Low |
| S1 | 2 × P − High |
| R2 | P + (High − Low) |
| S2 | P − (High − Low) |
| CPR type | What it suggests | How traders adapt |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow | Compressed prior day; potential for a directional move | Look for breakouts away from the band |
| Wide | Prior day with a wide range; balance more likely | Expect rotation; fade extremes or trade less |
| Ascending (today’s CPR above yesterday’s) | Value moving higher | Bullish context |
| Descending | Value moving lower | Bearish context |
A “virgin CPR” is a band price never touched during its session. Some traders watch it as a level for later days.
Before the open: plot the levels
Calculate or plot CPR, R1/S1 and R2/S2, and note the CPR width compared with recent days.
At the open: note where price starts
Opening above TC, inside the band, or below BC sets the initial context.
Watch the first test of the band
Price holding above TC on a pullback supports longs; price falling back into the band weakens the case.
Use R1/S1 as first targets
Many traders take partial profit or tighten stops near the next pivot level.
Invalidate clearly
A close back through the opposite side of the CPR usually means the day’s context has changed.
Pivot = (25,200 + 24,900 + 25,150) ÷ 3 = 25,083.3. BC = (25,200 + 24,900) ÷ 2 = 25,050. TC = 2 × 25,083.3 − 25,050 = 25,116.7. R1 = 2 × 25,083.3 − 24,900 = 25,266.7. S1 = 2 × 25,083.3 − 25,200 = 24,966.7.
Nifty opens at 25,095 inside the band, then closes a 15-minute candle above TC with the broader market positive. The context turns bullish, with R1 near 25,267 as the first reaction zone. A close back below BC would have reversed that read.
CPR gives prepared levels and context before the open. The trade still comes from how price behaves at those levels.
Treating pivot levels as walls
They are reaction zones. Strong trends cut straight through them.
Ignoring width
Trading breakouts aggressively on a wide-CPR day often means trading a range day as a trend day.
Mixing daily and weekly levels unknowingly
Know which timeframe your platform is plotting.
Using CPR alone
Combine with trend, VWAP and the index; CPR has no volume or momentum information.
Recalculating from wrong data
Use the official prior-session high, low and close; small differences change the levels.
CPR is a calculation you can plot on any chart. BreakPoint helps with the parts around it — which stocks are interacting with key prior-day levels and whether the market is trending. How its tools select stocks stays private.
Prior-day levels, live
The HLC Scanner tracks stocks breaking their previous day high, low or close — the same inputs CPR is built from.
Trend context for the band
Index Trend shows whether indices are trending across timeframes, which helps decide whether a narrow CPR is likely to produce a move.
Where the action is
Market Mover shows which stocks and industries are moving so you plot CPR only where it matters.
Save CPR and pivot drawings on BreakPoint’s built-in charts and view the same layout in the mobile app.
Intraday traders
CPR gives a prepared framework of levels before the session starts.
Index traders
Widely used on Nifty, so reactions at the levels are common.
Swing traders
Weekly and monthly CPR offer higher-timeframe context.
Beginners
Useful for learning level-based planning; avoid treating levels as guarantees.
Pick by workflow, not by feature count. You can change plans later.
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Calculate CPR by hand for a few days and compare with price behaviour using the free guides.
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CPR, or central pivot range, is a band made of three levels — pivot, top central and bottom central — calculated from the previous session’s high, low and close. Traders use its width and price’s position relative to it as intraday context.
Pivot = (High + Low + Close) ÷ 3. Bottom Central = (High + Low) ÷ 2. Top Central = 2 × Pivot − Bottom Central. If Top Central is lower than Bottom Central, swap them.
A narrow CPR means the prior day’s close was near the middle of its range and the levels are compressed. It is commonly associated with a higher chance of a trending day, though not always.
A wide CPR is often associated with sideways or range-bound sessions, because the previous day’s range was large and value is more spread out.
Pivot points usually refer to the pivot plus support and resistance levels such as R1, S1, R2 and S2. CPR adds top and bottom central levels around the pivot to form a band and focuses on its width.
Plot the levels before the open, note CPR width, see whether price opens above, inside or below the band, and use holds or breaks of the band as context, with R1 and S1 as common first targets.
A virgin CPR is a central pivot range that price did not touch during its session. Some traders watch it as a potential reaction level on later days.
CPR is widely used on Nifty and index futures, which is one reason prices often react near the levels. It still needs confirmation from price action and market trend.
Use the HLC Scanner to see which stocks are breaking prior-day levels and Index Trend to judge whether today should trend.
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Terms used here: Support & Resistance · Breakout · Intraday Trading · VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price)
This article is for education only. It is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading involves risk of loss; examples are hypothetical and past behaviour of any pattern does not guarantee future results.