Help Calculating Index Futures daytrading Profits

[brownsfan019]

Quote from rwk:

Almost ... It's $5k per contract. But that can change with little notice. Also, your broker will get alarmed if you put a large portion of your account value at risk. I would not recommend going much over 20-25%. If you get an adverse move, you will have to come up with more cash FAST, or your broker will dump your position at a big loss. Leverage is why people say it is so risky to trade futures and options.

Intraday can be $500 or lower.

 

[rwk]

Quote from brownsfan019:
Intraday can be $500 or lower.

I don't trade futures intraday, but it appears that exchange minimums only apply to positions held overnight. If a position is closed the same day it is opened, the margin requirement, if any, is set by the broker. This is for retail trading. Proprietary trading has its own rules.

 

[stoic]

The broker I work with has the day trade margin @ $500 per contract.

 

[rknas]

dollars made = 5 x 13 x 50

margin required = 5 x 5000

you don't use 500/contract day trading margin to make 13 pts, cause the risk (stop) needed for a non-scalp trade would exceed any meaningful ratio for anything less than the overnight min of 5k.

 

[heywally]

Quote from tomahawk:

It's possible they made 0 profit if that was 13 pts. gross, and they did 163 round turns with 5 contracts each.