Yes. Commissions for trading NQ are 300% the 1000 QQQ ssf commissions, no matter how many contracts you trade. QQQ SSF has 20% margin requirement (= 5:1 leverage), while NQ has up to 5% daytrading leverage. If you want more than 5:1 leverage you can trade NQ and pay 300% the QKQ commissions. But why would you trade with more than 5:1 leverage? It's bad money management imo. For example, if you use 10:1 leverage, an event (such as: war with Iraq, terrorist attack etc.) could halt trading and the market may gap 10% or more lower, triggering automatic position liquidation and whiping out your account. With 4:1 leverage you can survive 20% market drop. Trading 5 NQ is equivalent to trading 4 QKQ, not to1, as you suggest: Trading 5 NQ = trading 4000 QQQ shares = Trading 4 QKQ (1000 QQQ ssf) Commissions for 5 NQ = 5*$2.40= $12, that's 3 times more than the commissions for 4 QKQ = $4. If you switch from NQ to QKQ (1000 QQQ SSF), you'll pay 3 times less in commissions. That's big savings(instant profit). That's why volume will pick up. When volume increases, spreads will narrow. 1 cent QQQ move = $10, when you trade QKQ futures. 10 cent move is $100 for 1 contract.
Why do you continue to ignore the tax advantage of NQ vs. the SSF? That more than takes care of the difference in commissions - not to mention the savings in paperwork.
qqq, 100, 1000, or even 10000 will never get even with the NQ because liquidity will always be only in the NQ's. the only solution which would make this discussion obsolete would be if the CME would finally introduce real NDX futures on globex. it's really time for this...
I think it's about time the CME lowers it's fees on the e-mini's to a more apropriate level, let's say $1/contract
IB doesn't have it on the system. My guess is they are trying to figure out what the implications will be if they charge $1 a contract for such a large underlying value. It might end up cannibalizing their NQ biz.
Eurex has already done that. Fee's there are around $0.40 I believe, and there is no difference between members and non members. It will never happen in Chicago though as long as the floor controls what happens. Brandon