Strategies/NinjaTrader 8/NQ and MNQ
Five strategies, side by side
All five trade Nasdaq-100 futures and follow fixed rules. They differ in when they trade, how they protect a trade and how they set position size. The rules and settings are proprietary. Everything that affects your risk is on this page and on each strategy's own page.
| Compare | Bell to Bell Breakout | Bell to Bell Trend | Bell to Bell Momentum | Bell to Bell Select | Bell to Bell Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it trades | |||||
| Markets | NQ, MNQ | NQ, MNQ | MNQ | MNQ | NQ, MNQ |
| Style | Intraday breakout | Intraday trend-following | Intraday momentum | Selective intraday | Overnight session, long only |
| When it trades | US regular hours | US regular hours | US regular hours, at most once a day | US regular hours | The overnight session, at most once a night |
| Holds overnight | No | No | No | No | Yes, through the night. Flat before the 9:30 ET open |
| Stop-loss at entry | Yes, with a profit target | No. It exits by rule | No, unless you set one. A daily loss limit is built in | Yes | A wide protective stop |
| Position size | Fixed, set by you | Your base size, or twice it on some trades | Fixed, set by you | Your base size, or twice it on some trades | Fixed, set by you |
| Chart needs | 30 days of history | 5 days of history | 30 days of history | 5 days of history and NinjaTrader Order Flow+ | 30 days of history |
| Hypothetical results at one MNQ contract (base size), after costs | |||||
| Test period | May 2019 to Oct 2026 | May 2019 to Oct 2026 | May 2019 to Oct 2026 | Dec 2023 to Oct 2026 | May 2019 to Oct 2026 |
| Trades | 402 | 534 | 408 | 132 | 307 |
| Trades a week | 1.04 | 1.38 | 1.06 | 0.96 | 0.80 |
| Profit factor | 1.87 | 1.95 | 1.64 | 4.10 | 3.03 |
| Largest drawdown, open trades marked | $1,622 | $2,969 | $1,802 | $455 | $1,170 |
| Worst day | −$523 | −$2,409 | −$446 | −$252 | −$896 |
| Most recent trade, and the last three active sessions at 1 MNQ | +$110−$333+$201.50 | +$596.50−$33+$133.50 | +$8.76−$273.74+$735.76 | −$121−$121+$427 | +$30.50−$2−$2 |
| Costs deducted | 1 point ($2) a round trip | 1 point ($2) a contract a round trip | 1.12 points ($2.24) a round trip | 0.5 point ($1) a contract a round trip | 1 point ($2) a round trip |
| Details → | Details → | Details → | Details → | Details → | |
Bell to Bell Trend and Bell to Bell Select use twice the base size on some trades, and their figures include those trades. The test periods differ, so compare rates and ratios rather than totals. Each drawing is the session of that strategy's most recent trade in the research data: a simplified price path with the entry and the exit marked, and no prices, times or levels. Under it, the results of its last three active sessions, newest first.
Hypothetical performanceCFTC Rule 4.41 · NFA Rule 2-29
These results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations. Unlike the results shown in an actual performance record, these results do not represent actual trading. Also, because these trades have not actually been executed, these results may have under- or over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated or hypothetical trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to these being shown.
HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES ARE MATERIAL POINTS WHICH CAN ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE MARKETS IN GENERAL OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS.
Run them together
All five on one prop account
Pick an account size and how many contracts each strategy trades, or turn one off. The backtests are replayed together from every start date on that account’s rules: how often the set reached the profit target before the drawdown, how many weeks that took, and the worst drawdown the five had together.
Total 7 MNQ across 5 strategies
On the 50K account with Breakout 1, Trend 1, Momentum 1, Select 3, Overnight 1 MNQ (7 in all). With JavaScript on, you can pick another account size, turn strategies on or off and set each one’s contracts here.
Drawdown $2,000Profit target $3,000End-of-day trailing, stops at the start + $100Replayed from 474 start dates, Dec 2023 to Oct 2026
- Hit the drawdown first
- 2%
- Neither within a year
- 0%
- Typical time to pass
- 5 weeks half took 3 to 7 weeks
- Worst drawdown, together
- $3,712 against the $2,000 drawdown
Hypothetical. The research backtests, after their costs, run together at the sizes picked (Bell to Bell Trend and Bell to Bell Select at twice theirs on the trades where they use twice the base size) and replayed from every start date on the rules shown: no daily loss limit and no consistency rule, open trades counted at each minute’s worst price, and a run that does neither within 52 weeks counted as neither. With Bell to Bell Select in the mix the replay covers its test period only, Dec 2023 to Oct 2026, which was a strong stretch for every strategy here; without it, May 2019 to Oct 2026. Runs from nearby start dates share most of their trades, so they aren’t independent tries. The worst drawdown is the combined backtest’s, with open trades marked; one larger than the account’s can still pass when it comes after the floor has stopped rising. Firms’ rules differ and change, so check yours, and all five trade the same index, so their bad days can line up. Each strategy’s rules were picked after testing many variations, so expect live results below these. None of this is a promise that any account will pass.
Hypothetical performanceCFTC Rule 4.41 · NFA Rule 2-29
These results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations. Unlike the results shown in an actual performance record, these results do not represent actual trading. Also, because these trades have not actually been executed, these results may have under- or over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated or hypothetical trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to these being shown.
HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES ARE MATERIAL POINTS WHICH CAN ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE MARKETS IN GENERAL OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS.
Running more than one
Their risks add up
Each strategy runs on its own and knows nothing about the others.
- They all trade the same index. All five trade NQ or MNQ. Run several on one account and their positions can stack in the same direction or offset each other, and your risk is the sum of all of them.
- Bad days can line up. Several strategies can lose on the same day. Compare the worst days above with any daily or trailing loss limit on your account before you combine them.
- Separate accounts keep them apart. Running each strategy on its own account, or its own Sim account while you watch them, makes each one's trades and results easy to follow.
Before you go live
Watch any of them on Sim first
Each strategy trades only about once a week, so give it time on Sim before you put real money behind it, and compare what it does with the limits on its page.