To successfully pass a trading challenge at Apex Trader Funding, it is crucial to understand all the details, rules, and features of the platform, whether during the evaluation phase or after obtaining a funded account.
This article, based on Trading Funder’s insights, explains Apex’s trading hours and commissions, and provides guidance on avoiding common mistakes while trading during your evaluation challenge or with your funded account.
Trading commissions explained
What is a Trading commission?
A trading commission is a fee paid to your broker or financial services representative when you buy or sell a stock, exchange-traded fund (ETF), or other investments.
Trading commissions may be charged per trade (i.e., brokers receive a flat fee when you buy or sell securities) or per share (i.e., the broker’s commission is determined by the amount you buy or sell).
Typically, the commission is paid by the investor who buys and sells securities. However, the commission amount varies by the brokerage firm.
Assume you call your broker and ask to buy 1000 shares of a particular stock. If the broker charges a $5 trade commission, your total transaction cost would be $1005. If you sold those shares the next day, you would have to pay the $5 trade commission again, which would be deducted from your profit.
Why is a trading commission needed?
A commission is similar to a finders’ fee for salespeople such as stockbrokers. It’s one of the ways these professionals make money by selling products. Depending on the industry, some people rely heavily on commissions, while others do not. For example, sellers frequently pay the commission in health insurance and real estate industries. In the case of trading, the client is usually the one who pays. Traders should be cautious of brokers and financial advisors who charge high commissions because these fees can reduce profits.
Example:
Assume you’ve opted to start mutual fund investing; hire a commission-based broker to assist you with a trade. Your broker charges a 2% commission. So, if you invest $2,000, the deal will cost you $2,040.
Assume you decide to sell your stock in five years. Suppose your $2,000 has increased to $2,500 in that time. You owe your broker $60 for sale, based on the 2% commission. So you’ve paid your broker $100 in commission fees to buy and sell shares.
What are the trading commissions at Apex?
Here are the trading commissions at Apex Trader Funding in the table below. All allowed instruments are included.
We should note that “1 side” trade means only one action; Buy or Sell. And “Round Turm” means a complete trade, for example, Buy and Sell.
| CBOT, CME, COMEX, NYMEX | Symbol | Exchange | 1 Side | Round Turn |
| Equity Futures | ||||
| E-mini S&P 500 (ES) | ES | CME | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| Nikkei NKD (NKD) | NKD | CME | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| E-mini NASDAQ 100 (NQ) | NQ | CME | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| Mini-DOW (YM) | YM | CBOT | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| E-mini Midcap 400 (EMD) | EMD | CME | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| Russell 2000 (RTY) | RTY | CME | 1.99 | 3.98 |
| Interest Rate Futures | ||||
| Eurodollar (GE) | GE | CME | 2.01 | 4.02 |
| 2-Year Note (ZT) | ZT | CBOT | 1.36 | 2.72 |
| 5-Year Note (ZF) | ZF | CBOT | 1.41 | 2.82 |
| 10-Year Note (ZN) | ZN | CBOT | 1.51 | 3.02 |
| 30-Year Bond (ZB) | ZB | CBOT | 1.56 | 3.12 |
| Ultra-Bond (UB) | UB | CBOT | 1.56 | 3.12 |
| Currency Futures | ||||
| Australian Dollar (6A) | 6A | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| British Pound (6B) | 6B | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| Canadian Dollar (6C) | 6C | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| Euro FX (6E) | 6E | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| Japanese Yen (6J) | 6J | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| Swiss Franc (6S) | 6S | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| New Zealand Dollar (6N) | 6N | CME | 2.36 | 4.72 |
| Agricultural Futures | ||||
| Lean Hogs (HE) | HE | CME | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Live Cattle (LE) | LE | CME | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Feeder Cattle (GF) | GF | CME | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Corn (ZC) | ZC | CBOT | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Wheat (ZW) | ZW | CBOT | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Soybeans (ZS) | ZS | CBOT | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Soybean Meal (ZM) | ZM | CBOT | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Soybean Oil (ZL) | ZL | CBOT | 2.79 | 5.58 |
| Energy Futures | ||||
| Crude Oil (CL) | CL | NYMEX | 1.98 | 3.96 |
| Mni Cruide Oial (QM) | QM | NYMEX | 1.96 | 3.92 |
| Natural Gas (NG) | NG | NYMEX | 1.98 | 3.96 |
| E-mini Natural Gas (QG) | QG | NYMEX | 1.26 | 2.52 |
| Heating Oil (HO) | HO | NYMEX | 1.98 | 3.96 |
| New York Harbor (RB) | RB | NYMEX | 1.98 | 3.96 |
| Metal Futures | ||||
| Gold (GC) | GC | COMEX | 2.31 | 4.62 |
| Silver (SI) | SI | COMEX | 2.31 | 4.62 |
| Copper (HG) | HG | COMEX | 2.31 | 4.62 |
| Platinum (PL) | PL | COMEX | 2.31 | 4.62 |
| Palladium (PA) | PA | COMEX | 2.31 | 4.62 |
| miNY Silver (QI) | QI | COMEX | 1.51 | 3.02 |
| miNY Gold (QO) | QO | COMEX | 1.51 | 3.02 |
| Micro Futures | ||||
| Micro E-Mini S&P 500 (MES) | MES | CME | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| Micro E-Mini Dow Jones (MYM) | MYM | CME | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| Micro E-Mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ) | MNQ | CME | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| Micro E-Mini Russell 2000 (M2K) | M2K | CME | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| E-Micro Gold (MGC) | MGC | CME | 0.76 | 1.52 |
| E-Micro AUD/USD (M6A) | M6A | CME | 0.42 | 0.84 |
| E-Micro EUR/USD (M6E) | M6E | CME | 0.42 | 0.84 |
| E-Micro USD/JPY (M6J) | M6J | CME | 0.42 | 0.84 |
| Micro Crude Oil (MCL) | MCL | NYMEX | 0.51 | 1.02 |
| Cryptocurrency | ||||
| Micro Bitcoin Futures | MBT | CME | 2.76 | 5.52 |
Trading hours Explained
Trading hours are the hours when a financial market is open each day. The primary trading session for a given asset is its trading hours. Trading hours can vary depending on the markets your trade in.
The following are some of the most important things to consider during your trading hours:
- There is a 45-minute interval regardless of the futures market you are in.
- All exchange times (CME) are listed in Central Time CT.
- Futures markets trade from Sunday to Friday.
- Despite longer trading hours, market participation plays a significant impact in driving futures prices.
What are the trading hours at Apex?
Apex Trader Funding allows you to trade 23 hours daily, five days a week. Every day, by 4:59 PM EST, all your trades and open orders must be canceled. The Paid/Funded Account will fail if a transaction is open or opened between 4:59 PM ET and 6:00 PM ET. Trading commences at 6 PM. EST from Sunday to Thursday.
Keeping track of the trading hours for the various futures contracts can be a bit overwhelming for a beginner and sometimes even for experienced futures traders, especially when tracking the trading hours on the futures markets of your choice. While keeping track of the trading hours for your favorite futures trading assets is simple, once you switch to a new asset, traders must pay attention to the futures market trading hours for that financial asset.
Apex trader funding hours allow traders to trade for extended periods not limited by holidays.
What happens if I trade during non-approved hours?
If you open a trade during non-approved hours or leave an open or pending trade, Apex will close all your trades, and you can continue trading the next day. There will be no liquidation of your evaluation account or funded account.
Conclusion
Apex Trader Funding offers competitive trading commissions and flexible trading hours, making it an attractive option for both beginner and experienced traders. However, understanding the specifics of their commission structure and trading hours is essential to avoid common mistakes, such as trading outside approved hours or paying excessive fees that can eat into your profits. Apex’s policy of closing trades placed during non-approved hours without liquidating your account provides some flexibility, but proper knowledge is key to success. At Trading Funder, we help traders choose the best platforms by providing detailed insights like these, ensuring you are well-prepared to navigate the challenges of prop firm trading.
Resources:
