Why Indices?
Indices have replaced gold and EURUSD as the retail crowd’s favorite over the last three years. NAS100 alone often moves 200+ points in a London session. US30 can do 400 in a New York session. The volatility is high, the trends are clean, and the news flow is well documented.
The Three to Know
NAS100 (Nasdaq 100)
Most volatile of the three. Tech-heavy. Dominates US session moves. Spreads typically 1-2 points on most brokers.
US30 (Dow Jones 30)
Cleaner trends than NAS100, slower. Good for swing setups. Spreads 2-4 points.
GER40 (DAX)
Active during European session (07:00–16:30 UTC). Often leads US futures in early hours. Spreads 1-3 points.
The Sessions That Matter
- European open (07:00–10:00 UTC). GER40, FTSE, then a quiet pre-US window.
- US open (13:30–16:00 UTC). NAS100 and US30 explode. 90% of the day’s move usually happens here.
- US close (19:00–20:00 UTC). Reversal or continuation depending on intraday trend.
The Lot Math
Index lots are different. NAS100 1.0 lot = $1 per point on most brokers. A 50-point move = $50 P&L per lot. On a $5k account risking 1%, you can risk $50 = 1 lot on a 50-point stop. Don’t confuse this with forex lot sizing.
The Strategies That Work
- Opening range breakout (US open). Mark the first 30-min range, trade the breakout in direction of pre-market move.
- VWAP pullback. Trend day on US session, pullback to VWAP, continuation.
- Liquidity sweep at session high/low. Wait for stop run, fade back to VWAP or POC.
The Bottom Line
Indices reward discipline and punish chasing. Venasri supports all major indices with proper lot sizing, news avoidance, and confluence scoring. Try it free.