Strategy library · Opening and session
Gap and go backtest on NQ and ES futures
Gap and go
Also called: gap and go strategy, gap continuation strategy, opening gap momentum, buy when the market gaps up at least 0.25% and the first 5-minute candle closes up (entering at 09:35), short when the market gaps down at least 0.25% and the first 5-minute candle closes down (entering at 09:35)
What happens if you buy NQ every time the market gaps up at least 0.25% and the first 5-minute candle closes up (entering at 09:35)?
What it is
An opening gap is a gap of at least 0.25% between the 09:30 open and yesterday's 16:00 close. If the first 5-minute candle closes in the gap's direction, this strategy enters with the gap at 09:35, with the stop at the first candle's other end and an exit at 15:59 ET.
What it did
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the gap and go strategy took 160 trades on the session timeframe, won 28.1% of them and finished 1,393.75 points ($27,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on NQ, the 92 long trades on the session timeframe won 29.4% and made 1,214.00 points ($24,280 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage. On ES futures from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the gap and go strategy took 139 trades on the session timeframe, won 22.3% of them and finished 28.50 points ($1,425 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. This strategy was tested on the session timeframe only; the NQ trades are listed on this page and the ES trades under the ES tab.
How it was tested
CE Market Solutions tested the gap and go strategy on NQ (2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07) and ES (2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27) futures, before commission and slippage, with each signal filled at the next bar's open, intraday positions flat at 15:59 ET and textbook default indicator settings; the NQ trades are listed on this page and the ES trades under the ES tab.
See it tested with one change · $19
Tested by CE Market Solutions on 2026-10-26. The trades are listed below, one market at a time. Gross, no commission or slippage. Last 2 years.
Results
Rule as tested: Gap of at least 0.25%. If the first 5-minute candle closes in the gap's direction, enter at 09:35 with the gap. Exit: Stop at the first candle's other end, exit at 15:59.
| Timeframe | NQ · 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 | ES · 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 NQ) | Max DD pts | Trades | Win % | Avg pts | Profit factor | Net pts | Net $ (1 ES) | Max DD pts | |
| Session | 160 | 28.1% | 8.71 | 1.208 | 1,393.75 | $27,875 | 1,273.75 | 139 | 22.3% | 0.21 | 1.026 | 28.50 | $1,425 | 357.00 |
| Session · longs only | 92 | 29.4% | — | — | 1,214.00 | $24,280 | 729.50 | 80 | 23.8% | — | — | 2.00 | $100 | 161.75 |
| Session · shorts only | 68 | 26.5% | — | — | 179.75 | $3,595 | 741.25 | 59 | 20.3% | — | — | 26.50 | $1,325 | 266.75 |
Free to use with credit to CE Market Solutions (CC BY 4.0).
NQ session: the equity line
Long and short
| Side | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 92 | 1,214.00 |
| Short | 68 | 179.75 |
By month
| Month | Trades | Net pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 5 | 365.00 |
| 2024-11 | 9 | 535.50 |
| 2024-12 | 8 | 275.00 |
| 2025-01 | 9 | −111.00 |
| 2025-02 | 3 | −118.50 |
| 2025-03 | 11 | −591.00 |
| 2025-04 | 7 | −352.75 |
| 2025-05 | 3 | 156.50 |
| 2025-06 | 5 | 187.75 |
| 2025-07 | 4 | 0.25 |
| 2025-08 | 8 | 252.75 |
| 2025-09 | 7 | −103.50 |
| 2025-10 | 8 | −123.50 |
| 2025-11 | 10 | 551.50 |
| 2025-12 | 5 | −121.50 |
| 2026-01 | 1 | −30.25 |
| 2026-02 | 4 | 381.50 |
| 2026-03 | 11 | −92.25 |
| 2026-04 | 6 | 145.50 |
| 2026-05 | 8 | 508.75 |
| 2026-06 | 4 | −305.00 |
| 2026-07 | 10 | −490.25 |
| 2026-08 | 6 | 142.25 |
| 2026-09 | 7 | 405.25 |
| 2026-10 | 1 | −74.25 |
Every trade, NQ session160 trades
Pick any of the 160 charted trades with Previous, Next or a date, or click a row in the trades table below, to see it drawn on the real 1-minute bars. Drag the chart sideways to move through the sessions around it.
Chart unavailable. The trades are in the table below.
All trades (160), newest first
Times are New York time; points are gross. Click a row to draw that trade in the chart above.
| Session date | Side | Entry (ET) | Entry price | Exit (ET) | Exit price | Exit reason | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-25 | long | 09:35 | 22518.25 | 09:50 | 22493.00 | stop first candle | −25.25 |
| 2025-06-24 | long | 09:35 | 22295.00 | 15:59 | 22405.50 | end of day 15:59 | 110.50 |
| 2025-06-20 | long | 09:35 | 22089.75 | 09:51 | 22040.00 | stop first candle | −49.75 |
| 2025-06-19 | short | 09:35 | 21755.25 | 12:59 | 21703.00 | early close | 52.25 |
| 2025-06-16 | long | 09:35 | 21848.50 | 15:59 | 21948.50 | end of day 15:59 | 100.00 |
| 2025-05-26 | long | 09:35 | 21299.75 | 10:30 | 21258.75 | stop first candle | −41.00 |
| 2025-05-13 | long | 09:35 | 21038.50 | 15:59 | 21270.75 | end of day 15:59 | 232.25 |
| 2025-05-09 | long | 09:35 | 20261.00 | 09:44 | 20226.25 | stop first candle | −34.75 |
| 2025-04-30 | short | 09:35 | 19295.00 | 10:29 | 19304.50 | stop first candle | −9.50 |
| 2025-04-24 | long | 09:35 | 18884.75 | 09:36 | 18848.00 | stop first candle | −36.75 |
| 2025-04-23 | long | 09:35 | 18988.25 | 09:36 | 18938.75 | stop first candle | −49.50 |
| 2025-04-11 | short | 09:35 | 18415.75 | 09:39 | 18479.25 | stop first candle | −63.50 |
| 2025-04-08 | long | 09:35 | 18168.75 | 09:36 | 18111.00 | stop first candle | −57.75 |
| 2025-04-07 | short | 09:35 | 16908.50 | 09:50 | 16980.00 | stop first candle | −71.50 |
| 2025-04-01 | short | 09:35 | 19368.75 | 09:47 | 19433.00 | stop first candle | −64.25 |
| 2025-03-31 | short | 09:35 | 19032.50 | 11:22 | 19191.75 | stop first candle | −159.25 |
| 2025-03-28 | short | 09:35 | 19865.75 | 09:37 | 19917.25 | stop first candle | −51.50 |
| 2025-03-27 | short | 09:35 | 19997.25 | 09:54 | 20072.25 | stop first candle | −75.00 |
| 2025-03-21 | short | 09:35 | 19656.00 | 09:48 | 19711.50 | stop first candle | −55.50 |
| 2025-03-18 | short | 09:35 | 19637.75 | 15:59 | 19501.50 | end of day 15:59 | 136.25 |
| 2025-03-14 | long | 09:35 | 19538.25 | 10:00 | 19450.75 | stop first candle | −87.50 |
| 2025-03-12 | long | 09:35 | 19735.50 | 09:44 | 19670.50 | stop first candle | −65.00 |
| 2025-03-10 | short | 09:35 | 19818.00 | 09:44 | 19897.50 | stop first candle | −79.50 |
| 2025-03-06 | short | 09:35 | 20281.25 | 09:39 | 20316.00 | stop first candle | −34.75 |
| 2025-03-04 | short | 09:35 | 20309.00 | 09:36 | 20364.25 | stop first candle | −55.25 |
| 2025-03-03 | long | 09:35 | 21087.50 | 09:38 | 21023.50 | stop first candle | −64.00 |
| 2025-02-27 | long | 09:35 | 21347.00 | 09:39 | 21320.50 | stop first candle | −26.50 |
| 2025-02-13 | long | 09:35 | 21937.25 | 09:38 | 21862.75 | stop first candle | −74.50 |
| 2025-02-05 | short | 09:35 | 21545.00 | 09:36 | 21562.50 | stop first candle | −17.50 |
| 2025-01-31 | long | 09:35 | 21812.50 | 13:34 | 21765.00 | stop first candle | −47.50 |
| 2025-01-22 | long | 09:35 | 21960.25 | 15:59 | 21997.75 | end of day 15:59 | 37.50 |
| 2025-01-20 | long | 09:35 | 21728.25 | 10:11 | 21713.25 | stop first candle | −15.00 |
| 2025-01-15 | long | 09:35 | 21264.75 | 09:37 | 21221.00 | stop first candle | −43.75 |
| 2025-01-14 | long | 09:35 | 21072.25 | 09:53 | 21018.25 | stop first candle | −54.00 |
| 2025-01-13 | short | 09:35 | 20764.75 | 09:53 | 20785.50 | stop first candle | −20.75 |
| 2025-01-10 | short | 09:35 | 21158.50 | 15:59 | 21015.50 | end of day 15:59 | 143.00 |
| 2025-01-06 | long | 09:35 | 21779.75 | 13:45 | 21723.50 | stop first candle | −56.25 |
| 2025-01-03 | long | 09:35 | 21332.00 | 10:20 | 21277.75 | stop first candle | −54.25 |
| 2024-12-30 | short | 09:35 | 21350.25 | 11:20 | 21416.00 | stop first candle | −65.75 |
| 2024-12-27 | short | 09:35 | 21774.75 | 15:59 | 21703.00 | end of day 15:59 | 71.75 |
| 2024-12-20 | short | 09:35 | 21205.50 | 09:38 | 21226.00 | stop first candle | −20.50 |
| 2024-12-17 | short | 09:35 | 21995.75 | 09:44 | 22034.75 | stop first candle | −39.00 |
| 2024-12-16 | long | 09:35 | 21922.75 | 15:59 | 22111.50 | end of day 15:59 | 188.75 |
| 2024-12-13 | long | 09:35 | 21815.75 | 10:40 | 21790.00 | stop first candle | −25.75 |
| 2024-12-12 | short | 09:35 | 21677.25 | 10:23 | 21696.75 | stop first candle | −19.50 |
| 2024-12-11 | long | 09:35 | 21606.75 | 15:59 | 21791.75 | end of day 15:59 | 185.00 |
| 2024-11-29 | short | 09:35 | 20824.00 | 09:36 | 20845.25 | stop first candle | −21.25 |
| 2024-11-28 | long | 09:35 | 20889.25 | 12:59 | 20890.00 | early close | 0.75 |
| 2024-11-27 | short | 09:35 | 20887.50 | 15:59 | 20816.25 | end of day 15:59 | 71.25 |
| 2024-11-26 | long | 09:35 | 20990.75 | 10:00 | 20938.00 | stop first candle | −52.75 |
Questions and answers
What happens if you buy NQ every time the market gaps up at least 0.25% and the first 5-minute candle closes up (entering at 09:35)?
From 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07 on the NQ session timeframe, the gap and go strategy took 92 long trades, won 29.4% of them and made 1,214.00 points ($24,280 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
What happens if you short ES every time the market gaps down at least 0.25% and the first 5-minute candle closes down (entering at 09:35)?
From 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27 on the ES session timeframe, the gap and go strategy took 59 short trades, won 20.3% of them and made 26.50 points ($1,325 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage.
Does the gap and go strategy work on Nasdaq futures?
On NQ futures from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the gap and go strategy on the session timeframe took 160 trades, won 28.1% of them and finished 1,393.75 points ($27,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
What is the win rate of Gap and go on ES futures?
The gap and go strategy won 22.3% of its 139 trades on the ES session timeframe from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, before commission and slippage.
Is it better to only buy or only sell gap and go signals on NQ?
On the NQ session timeframe from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the long trades made 1,214.00 points on 92 trades (29.4% won) and the short trades made 179.75 points on 68 trades (26.5% won), before commission and slippage.
How many trades does the gap and go strategy take on NQ in two years?
The gap and go strategy took 160 trades on the NQ session timeframe from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage.
What is the max drawdown of the gap and go strategy on NQ?
The gap and go strategy had a max drawdown of 1,273.75 points ($25,475 on one NQ contract) on the NQ session timeframe from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, before commission and slippage.
How does the gap and go strategy do on ES compared with NQ?
On the ES session timeframe from 2024-08-28 to 2026-08-27, the gap and go strategy took 139 trades, won 22.3% of them and made 28.50 points ($1,425 on one ES contract), before commission and slippage. On the NQ session timeframe from 2024-10-08 to 2026-10-07, the gap and go strategy took 160 trades, won 28.1% of them and made 1,393.75 points ($27,875 on one NQ contract), before commission and slippage.
How these were run
- Gross: no commission and no slippage.
- The last 2 years of each market, from the first to the last session of its window.
- A signal on a closed bar fills at the next bar’s open.
- A stop and a target touched in the same minute count as the stop.
- Intraday positions are flat at 15:59 ET.
- Textbook TradingView default settings for every indicator; nothing is tuned.
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