Should a prop firm allow positions to be held over the weekend?
Quick answer
Many firms allow weekend holding on swing-style accounts and ban it on intraday accounts, sometimes selling it as an add-on. Weekend gaps can move prices past stops, so holding raises risk. If you ban it, set a clear Friday cutoff time and say what happens to open positions.
Detailed answer
Considerations:
- Gap risk: markets can open well away from Friday's close.
- Audience: swing traders expect to hold; intraday traders rarely need to.
- Enforcement: close positions automatically, refuse new orders, or breach.
Define the cutoff precisely, including the time zone.
PropExecutor's no weekend holding rule lets you set a Friday cutoff in UTC; positions held past it trip the rule (by default a breach, or a flag for review), and new orders inside the weekend window are refused. It is checked on every tick. Account types without the rule allow weekend holding.
Worked example of the risk
A trader holds 3 lots of EUR/USD over a weekend with a 40-pip stop. If the market opens 70 pips away, the stop fills 70 pips down, a loss of about $2,100 rather than the planned $1,200. On a $25,000 account with a 5% daily limit, that single gap could breach the account.
Communicate it
Whatever you decide, state the Friday cutoff and the reasons on your rules page.
PropExecutor team · Updated
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