NQ: E-mini Nasdaq-100
Everything that decides whether NQ fits a funded account: tick value, point value, margin, sessions, which prop firms offer it, and how many contracts the drawdown buffer actually supports at each account size.
NQ contract specifications
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Full name | E-mini Nasdaq-100 |
| Tick size | 0.25 index points |
| Tick value | $5.00 |
| Point value | $20.00 |
| Contract size | 10× MNQ |
| Day-trading margin | ~$500 intraday at prop firms; CME overnight far higher |
| Sessions | Sunday 5:00 PM – Friday 4:00 PM CT, with a daily maintenance halt |
| Prop firms | Every major futures prop firm, subject to contract caps that count minis separately from micros |
How many contracts fit each prop account size
| Account | Drawdown buffer | Contracts | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $2,000–$2,500 | Not practical | One contract moves $20 per point. A 100-point stop is $2,000 — the entire buffer. |
| 100K | $3,000–$3,500 | 1 | A single contract with a 100-point stop uses two thirds of the buffer. Viable only for single-exit strategies with tight stops. |
| 150K | $4,500–$5,000 | 1–2 | Two contracts remove the ability to scale out; 10–20 micros do the same job with finer control. |
| Above 150K | Plan-dependent | 2+ | The point at which minis stop being a compromise. |
The buffer decides the size, not the contract cap. Firms commonly permit 15 minis or 150 micros on a 150K account — far above what the drawdown floor supports. Run the arithmetic on the sizing checker or the position size calculator.
What this means for a systematic strategy
NQ is where most systematic prop strategies should not start. One contract at $20 per point means a 100-point stop costs $2,000 — the full drawdown buffer on a 50K account and two thirds of it on a 100K. The instrument is not the problem; the granularity is.
The specific loss is scaling out. A strategy that takes partial profits needs at least two or three units, and on a 100K account that is 20–30 micros or 2–3 minis. The micros give finer control at identical exposure and identical liquidity, which is why almost every funded strategy under 150K runs MNQ rather than NQ.
Related
- All instruments compared
- Best instrument by prop account size
- MNQ vs MGC for prop accounts
- Rules cards for every firm
FAQ
Can I trade NQ on a 50K prop account?
Technically the contract cap allows it, but the arithmetic does not. One NQ contract moves $20 per point, so a 100-point stop consumes the entire $2,000–$2,500 drawdown buffer on one trade.
NQ or MNQ for a funded account?
MNQ below 150K, almost always. Ten MNQ contracts equal one NQ in exposure with no liquidity penalty, and they allow partial exits that a single mini cannot.
How much is one NQ point worth?
$20.00 per point, or $5.00 per tick. That is ten times MNQ.
Contract specifications verified September 2026 against CME Group and current futures specification trackers. Prop firm availability cross-checked against the rules cards. Margins vary by broker and rise during volatility; confirm before trading.