Can You Hold Trades Overnight on AquaFutures? Weekend and Holiday Policies

Written by Paul

Published on

January 13, 2026

Yes, you can hold trades overnight on AquaFutures evaluation and funded accounts—there are no rules prohibiting overnight positions. However, holding overnight increases risk: gaps at market open, reduced liquidity during off-hours, and potential adverse moves while you sleep. Most prop traders close positions before market close to avoid these risks, especially during evaluations when a single gap can breach your account.

Weekends are different: futures markets close Friday 5pm ET and reopen Sunday 6pm ET. Any positions held through the weekend face 48+ hours of gap risk. Holidays follow similar closures. AquaFutures doesn't charge overnight fees, but the risk management burden is entirely yours.

I'm breaking down overnight trading rules, why most traders avoid it, gap risk analysis, weekend vs weekday overnight differences, how margin requirements change after hours, and specific strategies if you do hold positions overnight.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with Aquafutures and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check Aquafutures´s website or their faq page.

Official Rule: Overnight Trading Is Allowed

AquaFutures has no rule against holding positions overnight. You can:

✅ Enter a trade Monday at 2pm ET

✅ Hold it through Tuesday's open

✅ Close it Wednesday morning

✅ All legal, no violations

What AquaFutures doesn't tell you: Overnight trading dramatically increases your breach risk.

Why most prop traders don't hold overnight:

Gaps at market open (price jumps 10-50+ points in seconds)
News events during off-hours (earnings, geopolitics, Fed statements)
Reduced liquidity (wider spreads, harder to exit)
Stress and sleep disruption (worrying about positions)

For evaluation rules, see the evaluation rules guide.

Why Overnight Trading Is Risky on Prop Accounts

Risk 1: Gap Openings

Futures markets close briefly each day (4pm-6pm ET for most contracts). When they reopen, price can gap—meaning it jumps to a new level without trading the prices in between.

Example:

Monday 4pm close: ES at 5,200
News overnight: Fed surprises with rate cut
Tuesday 6pm reopen: ES gaps to 5,250 (+50 points = $2,500 per contract)

If you were short 4 ES contracts, you lost $10,000 instantly—potentially breaching your account before you could react.

Risk 2: Your Drawdown Threshold Doesn't Sleep

Even if you're asleep, your account tracks P&L. If ES drops 30 points overnight and you're long 6 contracts, you're -$9,000. If your threshold is $8,000 away, you breached while sleeping.

No "waking up" grace period. Your account breaches at the moment your balance drops below the threshold—even at 3am.

Risk 3: Can't React to News

Major news breaks at unpredictable times:

Fed announcements at 2pm ET
Earnings reports after 4pm ET
Geopolitical events (wars, elections) at midnight

If you're holding overnight and news hits, you can't exit until markets reopen (6pm ET for ES/NQ). By then, the damage is done.

Risk 4: Reduced Liquidity After Hours

Futures markets are open nearly 24 hours, but liquidity varies:

High liquidity (9:30am-4pm ET): Tight spreads (0.25 points on ES), easy fills

Low liquidity (4pm-9:30am ET): Wider spreads (0.50-1.00 points), slippage common

If you need to exit overnight, you might get filled 2-5 points worse than you expected—turning a manageable -$500 loss into a -$1,200 loss.

Do You Pay Overnight Fees?

No. Unlike forex brokers (who charge swap/rollover fees for overnight positions), futures prop firms don't charge overnight holding fees.

You pay zero fees for:

Holding ES overnight
Holding NQ through the weekend
Keeping positions open for weeks

The only "cost" is the risk itself—not a financial fee.

Weekend Trading: Special Considerations

Futures market hours:

Friday close: 5:00pm ET
Sunday reopen: 6:00pm ET
Total closure: ~49 hours

What happens during the weekend:

No trading, no price updates
Your positions stay frozen at Friday's close price
News accumulates (earnings, geopolitics, economic data)

Monday morning gap risk:

When futures reopen Sunday 6pm ET, price can gap significantly based on weekend news. Gaps of 20-50+ points are common after major events.

Example:

Friday 5pm: ES closes at 5,200
Weekend: Major bank fails, panic ensues
Sunday 6pm: ES reopens at 5,100 (-100 points = -$5,000 per contract)

If you held 4 contracts long over the weekend, you're -$20,000 before you can react.

Advice: Unless you have a specific reason to hold through weekends (e.g., swing trading a multi-week position), close everything Friday before 4:50pm ET.

Holiday Trading Closures

Futures markets close for major U.S. holidays:

Closed holidays:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day (July 4th)
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Markets typically close early (12-1pm ET) the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Gap risk on holidays:

Same as weekends—24-72 hours of potential news accumulation. Avoid holding through holidays unless you're swing trading intentionally.

For a full 2026 holiday schedule, check CME Group's website (https://www.cmegroup.com).

Margin Requirements: Do They Change Overnight?

During regular hours (9:30am-4pm ET):

Your buying power is based on intraday margin requirements. For ES, that's typically ~$500-$1,000 per contract (varies by broker/prop firm).

After hours and overnight:

Some brokers increase margin requirements overnight (called "maintenance margin" or "overnight margin"). This can be 2-3x intraday margin.

Example:

Intraday ES margin: $500/contract
Overnight ES margin: $1,500/contract

Does this affect AquaFutures accounts?

Possibly. Check your platform's margin requirements. If you're holding 6 ES contracts overnight and margin increases from $3,000 to $9,000, you might not have enough buying power.

Best practice: Keep at least 2x your normal margin available if you plan to hold overnight.

EOD vs Intraday Tracking: Does It Matter for Overnight Trading?

Beginner accounts: EOD drawdown tracking

Drawdown is calculated at 4pm ET close. If you're down -$2,000 at 2am but recover to -$400 by 4pm, you're safe.

Standard accounts: Intraday drawdown tracking

Drawdown is calculated in real-time. If you drop below your threshold at 2am, you breach—even if you recover by 4pm.

For overnight trading:

EOD tracking (Beginner) is slightly safer because you have until 4pm close to recover from overnight gaps.

Intraday tracking (Standard) is riskier because overnight gaps can breach you instantly—no recovery time.

For drawdown details, see the maximum drawdown guide.

Common Overnight Trading Scenarios

Scenario 1: Swing trading (intentional overnight holds)

You enter a trade expecting it to take 3-7 days to play out. You hold through multiple nights.

Risk management:

Use smaller position sizes (2-3 contracts instead of 6)
Set wider stops (50-100 points on ES)
Ensure you have $2,000+ cushion to threshold

Scenario 2: Forgot to close (accidental overnight)

You meant to close before 4pm but got distracted. Now you're holding overnight unintentionally.

What to do:

If markets reopen soon (6pm ET), wait and close at reopening
If it's Friday and you're holding through the weekend, close immediately when markets reopen Sunday
Don't panic—one overnight hold probably won't breach you unless there's major news

Scenario 3: Held a winner, woke up to a loser (gap reversal)

Yesterday: +$800 on ES long
Overnight: ES gaps down 20 points
Today: -$1,200 on same position

Lesson: Take profits before market close. Gaps can erase intraday gains.

Scenario 4: News event scheduled for tomorrow morning

You know NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls) is 8:30am Friday. You're considering holding a position overnight Thursday into Friday.

Bad idea. Close before major scheduled news. The gap risk outweighs potential profit.

For news event restrictions, see the Tier-1 news events guide.

Strategies If You Do Hold Overnight

Strategy 1: Reduce Position Size

If you normally trade 6 contracts intraday, trade 2-3 overnight. Smaller positions = less gap risk.

Strategy 2: Use Wider Stops

Intraday stops might be 10-15 points. Overnight stops should be 50-100 points to avoid getting stopped out by normal overnight volatility.

Strategy 3: Trade Higher Timeframes

Swing trading on daily or weekly charts justifies overnight holds. Scalping on 1-min charts doesn't.

Strategy 4: Only Hold Through Low-Risk Periods

Avoid holding overnight before:

Tier-1 news events (FOMC, NFP, CPI)
Earnings season (affects ES/NQ indirectly)
Geopolitical events (elections, wars)

Hold overnight during quiet news periods (mid-month, no major events scheduled).

Strategy 5: Set Alerts

If you're holding overnight, set price alerts:

Alert if ES drops 10 points below your entry
Alert if it rises 20 points (take profits)

This wakes you up if something goes wrong, allowing you to close positions before major damage.

What Most Successful Prop Traders Do

95% of prop traders close positions before 4pm ET every day.

Why:

Eliminates gap risk
Ensures clean slate each morning
Reduces stress (sleep better knowing you have no exposure)
Simplifies drawdown tracking (start each day at same balance)

The 5% who hold overnight:

Swing traders with specific multi-day setups
Traders with very large cushions ($5,000+ to threshold)
Experienced traders who understand and accept the risk

For your first evaluation: Close everything before 4pm. Don't hold overnight. The risk isn't worth it.

Can AquaFutures Force-Close Your Positions?

No. AquaFutures doesn't automatically close positions at market close or before holidays.

You're responsible for:

Closing positions before you want them closed
Managing overnight risk
Exiting before holidays/weekends if desired

If you forget to close and hold overnight, that's your problem—not AquaFutures'.

Exception: If your account breaches (hits drawdown threshold), AquaFutures terminates the account. All positions are closed at that point.

Overnight Trading During Evaluations vs Funded Accounts

During evaluations:

Avoid overnight trading entirely. You're grinding for weeks to hit a profit target—one bad gap can wipe out 5-10 days of progress.

Risk isn't worth it. Close positions before market close every day.

On funded accounts:

If you're consistently profitable and you have a large buffer ($5,000+ cushion), overnight trading becomes more acceptable.

Why:

You're not under time pressure (no profit target deadline)
You have more capital to absorb gaps
You've proven you can manage risk

But even on funded accounts, most traders still close positions daily.

For funded account rules, see the funded account guide.

Final Thoughts: Close Positions Before Market Close

Unless you're swing trading intentionally, close everything before 4pm ET.

Benefits of closing daily:

Zero gap risk
Better sleep (no worrying about positions)
Clean start each morning (know exactly where you stand)
Simpler consistency rule tracking

"But what if I miss overnight moves?"

You're passing on potential profits, yes. But you're also passing on potential catastrophic losses. For prop trading, avoiding big losses matters more than catching every winner.

Close positions before market close. Sleep easy. Start fresh tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you hold trades overnight on AquaFutures?

Yes. AquaFutures has no rule against holding positions overnight—you can hold trades for hours, days, or weeks. However, overnight trading increases risk due to gap openings, reduced liquidity, and potential adverse moves while you sleep. Most prop traders close positions before market close (4pm ET) to avoid these risks.

What happens if you hold positions over the weekend?

Futures markets close Friday 5pm ET and reopen Sunday 6pm ET (~49 hours). Positions stay frozen during closure. Weekend news accumulates (earnings, geopolitics, economic data), and markets can gap 20-50+ points on reopening. Holding through weekends is extremely risky—most traders close everything Friday before 4:50pm ET.

Does AquaFutures charge overnight fees?

No. Unlike forex brokers, futures prop firms don't charge swap/rollover fees for overnight positions. You pay zero fees for holding ES, NQ, or any futures contract overnight or through weekends. The only "cost" is the increased risk itself—not a financial fee.

Are overnight trades riskier during evaluations?

Yes. During evaluations, you're grinding for weeks to hit a profit target. One bad overnight gap can wipe out 5-10 days of progress or breach your account entirely. Advice: Close positions before market close every day during evaluations. Save overnight trading for funded accounts when you have larger buffers.

What if you forget to close before market close?

If you accidentally hold overnight: (1) Don't panic, (2) Wait for market reopen (6pm ET for ES/NQ), (3) Close immediately when markets reopen, (4) If it's Friday, wait until Sunday 6pm reopening. One accidental overnight probably won't breach you unless major news hits.

Do margin requirements change overnight?

Possibly. Some brokers increase margin requirements overnight (maintenance margin can be 2-3x intraday margin). If you hold 6 ES contracts overnight and margin increases from $3,000 to $9,000, you might not have enough buying power. Keep 2x normal margin available if holding overnight.

Should you hold trades through holidays?

No. Futures markets close for major U.S. holidays (New Year's, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.), creating 24-72 hours of gap risk as news accumulates. Unless you're swing trading intentionally with wide stops and small positions, close everything before holiday closures.

Does EOD vs intraday tracking matter for overnight trading?

Yes. Beginner accounts (EOD tracking) calculate drawdown at 4pm ET close—if you're down -$2,000 at 2am but recover to -$400 by 4pm, you're safe. Standard accounts (intraday tracking) calculate drawdown real-time—if you drop below threshold at 2am, you breach instantly. EOD tracking is slightly safer for overnight trading.