Get Started with MakeMoneyMarkets

NQ is the ticker symbol for Nasdaq-100 E-mini futures. It tracks the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq stock exchange (tech-heavy: Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, etc.). Instead of buying individual stocks, you trade a futures contract that moves in sync with this index. One NQ contract controls ~$160,000 of index value (as of 2026), but you only need margin (typically $5,000–$15,000) to control it.

A futures contract is a binding agreement to buy or sell a financial asset at a predetermined price on a future date. For trading purposes, you don't hold the contract to expiration—you typically close it the same day (scalping) or within days/weeks (swing trading). The price moves based on real-time supply and demand, just like stocks, but futures are leveraged: small price moves create outsized profits (or losses).

It identifies high-probability trade setups using price structure analysis. The algorithm looks for specific patterns in how price moves—support and resistance levels, breakouts, trend continuations—and enters trades when those patterns confirm. It also manages exits using a 5-contract scale-out approach, meaning it closes portions of the trade at multiple profit targets to lock in gains while letting runners stay open for bigger moves.

Stocks are straightforward: you buy shares and own a piece of a company. Futures use leverage, meaning you control a large position with a small amount of capital (margin). This amplifies both gains AND losses. A $500 stock move in NQ could make or lose you $2,000+ on a single contract. For this reason, proper position sizing and stop-losses are critical.

Micro contracts (MNQ) are 1/10th the size of full NQ contracts. One MNQ controls ~$16,000 of index value instead of $160,000. This means smaller position sizes and smaller profit/loss swings. Perfect for beginners and traders with smaller accounts ($2,000–$5,000). As you gain experience and capital, you can scale up to full NQ contracts.