Pine Script Strategy · Included in Pro
NQ Pine Script Strategy for the Nasdaq-100 E-mini
NQ is the most volatile contract in the lineup, at $20 a point. That range cuts both ways, so the strategy leans on fixed rules: a VWAP-filtered momentum entry on the 15-minute RTH chart, an ATR-based stop, and a daily loss input.
Strategy at a glance
No Strategy Tester figures are published for this configuration yet. When they are, they'll show here with their commission and slippage assumptions.
Why NQ for prop firm evals — the volatility edge
NQ regularly moves a wide intraday range in index points. At $20 per point, that translates into thousands of dollars of movement per contract per day. Few other CME products combine that dollar range with the liquidity needed for reliable execution at a tradeable margin level.
On larger accounts, that range means the strategy doesn't need to fire a dozen signals a day. The 15-minute RTH version takes a handful of trades per session, each targeting roughly 2R.
Compare that to MNQ: identical chart, identical signals, but a fraction of the dollar output per point. MNQ suits a 50k account learning the strategy; NQ suits a trader who wants the full dollar weight of the Nasdaq-100 behind every signal.
The tradeoff is margin — NQ requires meaningfully more buying power per contract than MNQ, and daily limits matter more at this dollar-per-point level. The natural pairing is a 100k account with no daily loss limit, such as Apex 100k or Tradeify Growth 100k, where a couple of contracts with an ATR-based stop keeps per-trade risk well inside normal prop firm risk management.
The NQ RTH 15-min strategy — how it works
The strategy runs on the 15-minute NQ chart during Regular Trading Hours. It combines a VWAP directional filter with a momentum entry signal — longs only fire above session VWAP, shorts only below it — and every entry confirms on bar close, so backtest and live behavior match.
VWAP Direction Filter
Longs require price above VWAP, shorts require price below it — keeping the strategy aligned with institutional flow.
ATR-Calibrated Stop
Stop distance is ATR-based within a fixed tick-count range, adapting to daily volatility without a hardcoded dollar figure.
Target + Trail
Profit target sits near 2× the stop distance. Breakeven moves to entry at 1R; a trail activates beyond that to lock in extended moves.
Daily Kill Switch
A capped number of trades per session, plus a configurable daily loss cap that halts new entries if the session goes against the account.
Prop firm sizing for NQ — account by account
| Firm | Account | Daily Limit | Contracts | Stop | Risk / Trade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 100k | None | 2 NQ | 40 ticks | $400 |
| Apex | 150k | None | 3 NQ | 40 ticks | $600 |
| Topstep | 100k | $2,000 | 1 NQ | 35 ticks | $350 |
| FTMO | 100k | $5,000 | 1 NQ | 25 ticks | $250 |
| Tradeify (Growth) | 100k | None | 2 NQ | 40 ticks | $400 |
Commission and typical slippage assumptions apply to any published backtest for this configuration — see the placeholder note above.
Which prop firms work best with NQ
Apex Trader Funding — 100k / 150k
The top pick for NQ. No daily loss limit on any tier means the 15-min strategy can take every signal in a session without a firm-side circuit breaker cutting it off. The intraday trailing threshold does require clean exits, which the 2R target and breakeven-at-1R structure handle well.
Topstep 100k
Topstep's daily loss limit keeps NQ sizing to a single contract, but the eod trailing drawdown is the real advantage — NQ's wide intraday swings don't move the floor, only closed session equity does. A trade that runs well in the money intraday and closes at a smaller gain raises the floor by that smaller amount, not the peak.
FTMO
FTMO trades the NAS100 cash instrument rather than CME NQ futures — same chart, slightly different contract specs. Its static drawdown is fixed at funding and never moves, and the $5,000 daily limit at the 100k tier is comfortable for a single-contract, NQ-style configuration. The main adjustment moving from CME to FTMO is the instrument, not the risk sizing.
Tradeify Growth 100k
No daily loss limit on the Growth eval path, eod trailing drawdown — the same structural advantage as Topstep. A couple of NQ contracts at a moderate stop is workable.
NQ vs MNQ — when to use which
| NQ | MNQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar per point | $20 | $2 |
| Typical account size | 100k–150k | 50k |
| Chart / signals | Identical | Identical |
| Best firm pairing | Apex 100k, Topstep 100k | Apex 50k, MFFU 50k |
Running a 50k eval? Start with MNQ — the chart is identical, so every signal the NQ strategy sees is visible on MNQ too. Step up to a 100k account and switch to NQ with the same strategy; nothing changes except the dollar output per point. Alerts route through CrossTrade the same way for either instrument.
Included in Pro: backtest it, then automate it
The NQ strategy is included in Pro ($69/mo, cancel anytime), along with the MNQ, ES, and MES strategies. Add it to a 15-minute NQ chart and run it in TradingView's Strategy Tester on the date range you care about before you put money behind it.
When you're ready to automate, the alerts already carry CrossTrade-ready order messages. Create a TradingView webhook alert (webhooks need a paid TradingView plan), point it at your CrossTrade webhook URL, and CrossTrade places the orders on NinjaTrader 8 or Tradovate. CrossTrade's Account Manager can also hold a daily loss limit, a trailing drawdown, and an end-of-day flatten on each account, separate from the script. On NinjaTrader, those limits run while NinjaTrader and the CrossTrade add-on are running.
Backtested performance — status
A published TradingView Strategy Tester result for this exact 15-min NQ configuration — with commission and slippage assumptions disclosed — will replace this section once available.
Backtested results, once published, reflect historical conditions only and are not a guarantee of future performance. All prop firm evaluations involve real capital risk — size positions to your account's drawdown rules.