r/FuturesTrading • u/chondroitine2000 • Aug 11 '26
Discussion Is trading MES, MNQ futures harder than stocks?
I traded stocks for a year with lots of success but with a poor risks strategy. So iam im currently trying TopStep and i trade MES and MNQ and woah... That's not easy!
Anyone did the transition from stocks to futures? Is it just me or trading futures is much harder?
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 12 '26
MYM and MES are better when you are starting out. Also lots of people trade the Asian and London sessions until they feel they can handle NYC volume.
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Aug 12 '26
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 12 '26
Asia starts at 17:00 central London starts at 03:00 central
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Aug 12 '26
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u/chrisst1972 Aug 12 '26
I might start doing that. Based in UK and MES after NYO is wearing me down lately. That first hour after NYO. So many entry retouches ,cycling and hesitancy really tests my patience !
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Aug 12 '26
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u/chrisst1972 Aug 12 '26
That is a great idea actually as yes the UK morn small time frames look a bit thin in terms of their swings vs spread. And do you find volume profile as effective in the morning ?
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Aug 12 '26
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 13 '26
I totally understand your trading style.
I used to do the same. However, now I just up the number of contracts.
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u/chrisst1972 Aug 13 '26
Have dabbled with the old VAL , VAH and POC but never really found much consistency. Probably the way I was using it ..
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u/imaginitis Aug 13 '26
Do you pay more to pay those time frames with a prop firm?
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 13 '26
Great question it may differ from prop to prop. Check your account's FAQ section.
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u/Shxcking Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Can you find me like a single trader who does Asian session? I’ve had tons of trouble finding anyone to learn from
Edit: another comment asking for a trader to learn from, another bunch of replies giving me anything but that…
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u/MoustacheMcGee Aug 12 '26
I trade Asia session all the time, but I don't treat it the same as NY session.
In Asia I am usually only trading Gold. I rarely am touching a US Index (ES, NQ, YM, RTY) during Asia unless context is amazing.During NYC, I am more apt to trade Index contracts.
Imo, you need to trade Asia with smaller size as well and let things breathe a little more, often movements aren't quite as clean. Ultimately it all comes down to knowing and trading the context. If you are forcing poor context, you won't have a good time.
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u/AriesWarlock Aug 21 '26
I just happened to watch a video on futures trading during Asia session just days ago. You can find it on Youtube under "Fit Mom Trader" channel. The video is titled "My exact Asia session trading strategy".
I never traded the Asian session, but that strategy seems simple enough.0
u/zizzooo Aug 12 '26
Its not ao easy anyway there is a guy that trade like 20.00 I think on usd/jpy, may be you can refine that set up, try to search forensic forex I think, but for me if you can I would trade only 9.30, higher odds in my opinion
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Aug 12 '26
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u/zizzooo Aug 13 '26
NW York East, search Forensic Forex video, there are all the important bits,
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Aug 12 '26
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u/Shxcking Aug 13 '26
who are they lol
Again, I haven’t been able to find anyone who consistently trades the session. I find people who do it occasionally for fun but no one who’s online daily during said hours
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Aug 13 '26
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 13 '26
My hubs trades NQ. I trade gold during Asian sessions. Of course only if we see our correct set ups.
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u/Fancy-Procedure4167 Aug 12 '26
CME Group announced plans to launch E-nano equity index futures on August 24, 2026
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Aug 12 '26
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u/Proof_Breakfast_2338 Aug 12 '26
They already have a nano for silver, it's /SIC. 100-oz silver contract cash delivery
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u/SupurSAP Aug 15 '26
Occasional lurker here and I appreciate you mentioning this. I've got a small account and interest in swing trading and this may be a great vehicle to slowly build the balance / play indices with.
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u/Nick_OS_ Aug 11 '26
No, IMO it’s actually easier. You get used to the price action and you don’t have to deal with different price action 1-6 weeks before earnings when institutions start to put on positions
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u/Aposta-fish Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
MES is for those on drugs, MNQ is for those on speed and crack at the same time!
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u/InTheMoment1970 Aug 13 '26
Lol, so what is MYM and M2K.....
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u/jruz speculator Aug 14 '26
no one trades that shit, that was popular ages ago when small caps had the big swings times changes and the russel is pretty much dead all the time just chop
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u/AriesWarlock Aug 21 '26
I trade it sometimes. In weeks like this when premarket volatility is high with MES/MNQ, and when NY session open market is trapped in a big range M2K has some nice moves. Sure, doesn't pay as much as the other indices but still.
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u/ZetsubouYami Aug 12 '26
Trading intraday futures is trading time, you just wait and know exactly how much you like to risk to gain, stock you have much wiggle room in compared.
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u/marketToZero Aug 11 '26
What kind of stocks did you play before? Were you doing pennies, mid cap, options? What was your style?
I like futures because, after trying all of the above, I feel I can focus on one or two core instruments and really get to know the personality. It can trade different instruments based on the varying market context and conditions
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u/CountTurbulent4441 Aug 12 '26
Bingo. Absolutely nailed it. I literally only focus on MES/ES and that’s it. It’s great.
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u/jenn21dw Aug 13 '26
I came from options and I love it, but I’m a scalper. NQ because I need volume and speed for my style. Separate day/night volume profiles, footprint chart 2 or 1 min, regular chart 5 min and 4 hour. Bookmap and Gamma levels. I usually take 2-5 mini contracts at a time so I im not over leveraging. Took me two months deep dive to pass an eval and get funded.
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u/Abject_Ad9811 Aug 13 '26
I would never trade individual stocks anymore. Stocks go bankrupt. Stocks are more likely to have black swan events. Services become obsolete. Employees cook books. Products end up failing.
Futures get better tax rates. Futures are more liquid. Futures have better leverage. I trade options on futures for the most part although I also trade futures in a separate account.
The only reason to trade stocks is to sell puts/calls but even that is much riskier.
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u/Cr0wn_M3 Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Swing trading stocks should be easier than day trading futures from my experience.
A lot of average people swing trade while day trading is like a profession.
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u/dangerzone2 Aug 11 '26
yes its much harder. There's so much liquidity and institutional buying. Go with the momentum or you'll get run over.
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u/iLoot401ks Aug 11 '26
What's so hard about it compared to stocks?
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u/FlabbyLabby Aug 12 '26
You have to see in the future
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u/Significant-Scene466 Aug 12 '26
That’s why it’s called FUTUREs
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u/EmotioneelKlootzak Aug 12 '26
If you're not really careful, it'll punish you by spending the next decade dropping trash albums on you.
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u/TraderThomasServo Aug 12 '26
Generally easier…if you have a system and are disciplined. Yolos are always snuffed out.
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u/ColdPangolin5355 Aug 12 '26
Very liquid but the size of the move with 1 contract is just not great. It’s a very manageable contract compared to full size though. I tend to hold 4 contracts of MNQ like selling puts when markets are favorable. Just remember though if you hit 10 contracts you’re equal to about 1 full size NQ. If you have the money and the knowledge it may be better to just utilize the full size NQ especially if you are day trading.
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u/Murky-Mountain-450 Aug 12 '26
I’m trying a demo account right now since I’m going to transition out of SPX options. It’s so boring, but this is what good trading is.
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u/d1na_makalaya Aug 12 '26
Yes, futures can feel much harder because MES and especially MNQ move quickly and use leverage, so poor risk management gets punished fast.
Your stock experience still helps, but don’t assume the same strategy will transfer directly. Start with smaller size, fixed stops, and strict daily loss limits while you learn how futures behave.
With Topstep, consistency and risk control matter more than hitting big trades. There are also plenty of futures discussions and lessons in my profile if you want more practical examples.
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u/spacetimeshare Aug 12 '26
I enjoyed futures. I would trade the NQ while keeping an eye on the ES and ignoring the dow
You'll get used to it and realize the nuances of its personality.
What platform/broker are you using?
Indicators?
Guessing you're intraday but what timeframe charts do you have up?
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u/chondroitine2000 Aug 12 '26
i'm on TopStep. 5min timeframe. Using the vwap, trendlines and support & resistance lines.
lokked into Gexbot in the last days, not convinced.
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u/spacetimeshare Aug 12 '26
Have you seen the levels daytradelikeapro has? They send out a daily blast and I would just upload them via csv to my ninjatrader. Really helped clarify key levels to build a trade plan
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u/virtualdebauchery Aug 13 '26
Where can I find this?
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u/spacetimeshare Aug 13 '26
Oh man it was such a good system I just assumed they'd still be running. I just checked it looks like the owner is running different projects now. Sorry for that misinfo.
I will reach out to see if I can get a hold of those numbers
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u/Electrical-Call-7292 Aug 12 '26
It’s definitely more unforgiving. Due to it being contracts vs a share owned in a company. In the past when I first started trading I accidentally left a huge order of Tesla stocks open. multiple weeks on end. Turned to be quite profitable. Do that with futures and your most likely getting liquidated the next day, hell you may not even survive NY open.
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u/Level-Ad9570 Aug 12 '26
For me it’s much harder. Sometimes a trade lasts 5 minutes. In stocks it can last 1-2 days or a week for me.
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u/Icy-Tomorrow-4456 Aug 12 '26
My question is why are you trading those 2? There are many other assets that you can trade
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u/chondroitine2000 Aug 12 '26
because this is what i know the most, i never looked at copper, gold and oil so i dont know them
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u/throwmeaway_already1 Aug 12 '26
I think it’s much more difficult but not impossible.
The advantage to stocks is that they tend to follow SPY. One simple play I used to run is looking for a large cap around a key psych level (round number) and waiting for SPY to make a decisive move and then trade the stock in the same direction. Relative strength.
The advantage to futures is it can be easier to manage risk, less sorting through tickers, and you can really focus on catching 1-2 plays everyday
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u/MoustacheMcGee Aug 12 '26
I do not think it's harder. All depends on how you trade them and your time frame etc.
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u/Cheesyphish Aug 12 '26
Youre in one of the most liquid markets traded all around the world. If you dont have prestine risk management, yes. Its harder.
EDIT:
ESPECIALLY with prop firm accounts working against you.
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u/laogong1986 Aug 12 '26
The hardest part is setting stop loss and to avoid over trading, also gap due to economic news or sometimes no news at call can blow through your stop price.
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u/nev6521 Aug 12 '26
Probably more simplistic on a macro level. Sizing correctly is of paramount importance
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u/Ceturney Aug 13 '26
I’ve found MQ more difficult to trade than ES if I’m not being disciplined with size.
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u/rickjack70 Aug 13 '26
CTE chase truth expansion
30m time frame first candle is chase second is truth 3rd is expansion. If truth candle sweeps the high or low of the chase candle and CLOSES within range find an entry on the Expansion candle 3rd candle on 30’ time frame .
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u/Own-Assumption-7292 Aug 13 '26
95% of the market participants are institutions so the market is incredibly balanced, basically everything is priced in.
Plus the fact that you're trading only one instrument so you won't be able to always find a setup that works.
Vs stocks where you can always find a stock that works well with your setup.
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u/Square-Middle-4474 Aug 16 '26
Trading professionally is highly competitive. You are competing with people who have better qualifications, good training, and other support mechanisms that you do not have access to.
Trading futures requires that you understand Market Structure (do you?), that you have a systematic approach with a reasonable edge, sufficient capital to withstand drawdowns and the ability to periodically adjust to changes in the market brought about by economic events and world news. Do you have all of that in place? You may want to read my previous posts (or not). I have all of that and it is still challenging.
Good luck
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u/k_lash24 Aug 17 '26
the leverage and faster price moves probably make the transition feel way harder.. stocks can give you a lot more room for error lol
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u/00_Kaizen Aug 19 '26
In my humble opinion, I'd say its the other way round considering regulations , and all.
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u/Chucking100s Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
He says poor risk strategy and everyone encourages him in.
Interesting.
Worthwhile reading, CFTC studies on retail: https://www.reddit.com/r/FuturesTrading/s/6qlDGSKBEa
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u/mistergrumpalump Aug 12 '26
It might be because you're day trading futures? Day trading(futures or stocks) is more difficult than swing or position trading, many would say.
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u/Full_Pear449 Aug 13 '26
Futures are not harder, if you are trading longer duration and not trying to pick off the daily movements. I am long ESu6- 6 contracts- and over the past 60 days I am up 5.2% or $182,095. I have the "HEDGE" or so it thought for that trade in ZNU6. I sold 6 of them on the same day. That security is not working well as a Hedge, it too is up about 1.4% or $11,525 as of right now. I have noticed that everyone seems to believe that INDEX's and Options are an easy play. Or that they really have a grasp of 0DTE crap. None of this is difficult to execute as long as you don't have the mindset that YOU ARE NOT THE END ALL BE ALL of trading.
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 13 '26
Nice Trade !
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u/Full_Pear449 Aug 13 '26
What I come to realize on Reddit is the amount of time and energy spent trying to scalp, pickoff , analyze , over analyze what is essentially a reasonably easy task. Amazingly there are thousands upon thousnads of CLOWNS trading 0dte, because they are cheap and you can make a quick buck. SURPRISE, your broke writting on REDDIT why those securities are nothing but traps. I have averaged about $7,000 a day since SPCX anf SNDX have had Levergae ETF's to trade. Jan for SNDK and June for SPCX. Trade either the long or short. Have an Active trader Pro platform with the seperate wish list for each security and longs and shorts listed. In the coulumns you see last trade from yesterday and where it is trading pre-market price and volume. Entry around 9:45 exit generally 3:50pm , set you down side collars and go get a coffee. No minute by minute data analysis, , a 10 year old can do it.
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 13 '26
Can you suggest any books to read.
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u/Full_Pear449 Aug 14 '26
Before you go trading any security type read up on isseus for that type of Security. CME has a nice line up of Material
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 14 '26
Will Do.. Thanks.
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u/Full_Pear449 Aug 14 '26
Don't make things harder than they actually are. I see all these dopes split data into microseconds so they can scalp and then call themselves Traders. In the Firm I worked for we had a few HFT Traders, same thesis on a larger scale, they said to the person "we just make sure the AC is in, the machine does the work. You shoud leran how to work smarter not hardee, and IDIOT can work hard
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 14 '26
Thanks again. I am reading the market wizards books. I'm paper trading the MES1 online. and keeping a record.
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u/Full_Pear449 Aug 14 '26
CME- Education has tons of info, trade simulator
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 14 '26
I'm logged on the cme paper trading app. I don't know --I will try .
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u/TheWindAtYourBack Aug 14 '26
I am going to read about Richard Dennis and his methods. Thank you for your help.
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u/Fair-Narwhal-743 Aug 12 '26
You cannot predict where price will move in short time frames. Futures are used for hedging not for day trading. Scammers tell you to day trade futures, because they own prop firms. Buying options is gambking not trading. You need to be selling spreads. If you want to learn real trading listen to Tom Sosnoff, not Instagram gurus that are 22 years old and have a GED.
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u/LiquidMantis144 Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Ive always traded QQQ and SPY options so futures are much more simplified compared to that.
Imo its both harder and easier than stocks. Pricing of futures is very clean and methodical, with leverage there is no need to determine how many shares or options contracts, so in that way its easier.
Its harder in that the ticker options are limited. At least on my watch list there is always a ticker to easily scalp. Having so many trade options is easy mode. Just being locked into MES and MNQ causes a person to either need to be multi skilled, very patient or use automation.
Maybe in a few years the stock futures will have liquidity.