You are correct that that is the TOTAL value of the contract, but it is not the amount you have to put up to trade it. Futures have higher leverage than stocks (in a retail environment). In the case of the NQ, Interactive Brokers requires an initial margin of $3000 (I haven't checked lately, but I assume this is the exchange minimum) to hold a contract overnight, and $1500 for intraday margin. Just remember that margin is a two edged sword...it cuts just as fast on the downside, which is why you should NEVER trade with the minimum margin.
amount required to trade es/nq http://www.mytrack.com/dtfrules.htm#2b they seem to have lots of answer for futures trading http://www.mytrack.com/futures/index.html
Paper traded the system again today. Here it is... 11 trades, 5 winners, 4 losers, and 2 b/e for a total of 13 points minus commissions. Took every trade till I stopped to help the neighbor move. Exited early on two trades and lost out on approx 7 additional points. Show me the way to go home, I'm tired and I want to go to bed....
Sorry I didn't post. Didn't trade at all. Finished cleaning out our old apartment, and helped the same neighbor continue to move. Working on my lack of knowledge concerning TWS order entries, and dealing today with our favorite branch of the Government. Probably limited papertrading today. Procrastination, I hate it and sometimes it has such a grip on me.
Huios, What do you trade more ES or NQ? Is it true, that it is easier to trade ES for the rookie? Lojze
The only thing I trade is the ES, never traded the NQ, so I do not know. Sorry about not answering your PM, lojze, been very busy with moving and getting set up. Had some business to take care of today, hopefully will be back into swing tomorrow, if IB doesn't give me fits. Oh look, another bulletin!!!
Lojze.. i think most people who have traded both would say the NQ is better for beginners.. thats my opinion at least.. but alot depends on your style of trading.. im putting the finishing touches on a scalping system that works better with the es than the nq.. but for someone just starting out, both of them are quite dangerous.. sort of like getting a job at the zoo hand feeding the animals and asking if it would be safer to learn to feed the alligators before the crocodiles.. -qwik
LOL Qwik you have some of the best posts. Are you going to share you new scalping system with us, or is it just too good to share?
thanks.. i dont mind sharing the idea, its pretty common anyway.. but i havent tried trading it yet so i cant comment on results.. basically the idea is that as price moves away from its 20ma, it becomes overextended and will eventually snap back.. i want to scalp the little reversals.. i made my own indicator but its similar to a CCI.. mine shows how many points the price has diverged from the ma while making an adjustment to account for the trend.. like i said, nothing fancy.. i want to get back to scalping and this will hopefully provide an edge.. if not, ill junk it and try something else.. -qwik