Nasdaq-100 futures (NQ and MNQ)
The most traded contract at futures prop firms. It moves a lot of points in a day and trends hard, so it reaches targets fast and drawdowns faster.
Tick size
0.25
smallest price move
Per tick
$5 / $0.50
NQ / MNQ
Per point
$20 / $2
NQ / MNQ
Front month
NQZ6
Dec 2026
- Exchange
- CME, traded electronically on Globex
- Contract size
- NQ: $20 × the Nasdaq-100 index. MNQ: $2 × the index.
- Contract months
- March, June, September, December (H M U Z)
- Last trading day
- Third Friday of the contract month. Volume moves to the next contract about eight days before.
Risk on a $2,000 drawdown
What one contract loses if the stop is hit, and how much of a typical $50K account's $2,000 trailing drawdown that uses. Example stops, before slippage and commission.
| Stop | 1 NQ | 1 MNQ |
|---|---|---|
| 10 points | $200 · 10% | $20 · 1% |
| 25 points | $500 · 25% | $50 · 2.5% |
| 50 points | $1,000 · 50% | $100 · 5% |
When it trades
NQ hours
| Event | New York | Your time | Why it matters |
|---|
Globex trades Sunday 6pm to Friday 5pm New York, with a one-hour break each day. Times follow US daylight saving automatically.
Things to know
- Big tech earnings and US rate expectations move it most.
- A normal stop is tens of points, which is hundreds of dollars on one mini. MNQ moves in $2-a-point steps, so it is easier to size inside a prop firm drawdown.
Contract limits at futures prop firms
Maximum contracts on a $50K evaluation. From third-party reviews checked 17 October 2026; firms change these often, so confirm on your firm's rules page.
| Topstep | Trading Combine $50K | 5 minis / 50 micros |
| Apex Trader Funding | Evaluation $50K (rules from 1 Mar 2026) | 6 |
| Take Profit Trader | Test $50K | 6 |
| MyFundedFutures | Rapid EOD $50K | Varies by plan |
| Lucid Trading | LucidFlex $50K | Varies |
| Tradeify | Growth $50K | 4 minis / 40 micros |
How the drawdown, consistency rules and fees compare: Futures prop firms guide.
Education, not trading advice. Check contract details on your platform and your firm's rules before you trade.