Captures small price movements multiple times per session
| Strategy Type | Intraday Scalping / High-Frequency Short-Term Trading |
| Market Outlook | Captures small price movements multiple times per session |
| Risk Profile | Defined per-trade risk, high volume of trades |
| Reward Profile | Small profits per trade, compound through frequency |
| Time Horizon | Seconds to minutes per trade |
| Iv Environment | N/A - Futures based |
| Breakeven | Win rate × Avg win > Loss rate × Avg loss + Costs |
| Primary Instruments | FTSE 100 Index Futures (ICE), Mini/Micro contracts if available |
| Mas Compliance | MAS regulated brokers required for futures trading |
| Trading Hours | London session: 4 PM - 12:30 AM SGT (optimal); Pre-market: 3 PM SGT |
| Contract Size | FTSE 100 Futures: £10 per index point; Mini: £2 per point |
| Settlement | Cash settled, daily mark-to-market |
| Tax Treatment | No capital gains tax for individuals in Singapore |
| Margin Requirements | Initial margin ~£3,500-5,000 per standard contract; Day trading margin often lower |
| Cdp Account | Not required for futures; custody with broker |
| Singapore Relevance | FTSE futures offer accessible UK market exposure with leverage, trading during evening hours SGT suits part-time traders |
Rapid-fire trading of FTSE 100 futures contracts, capturing small price movements (2-10 points) with trades lasting seconds to minutes. Profit comes from frequency of trades, not size of individual moves.
Minimum: £5,000-10,000 for proper risk management. Standard contract margin ~£4,000, but need buffer for losses and multiple contracts. Mini contracts allow starting smaller (~£2,000).
London session: 4 PM - 12:30 AM SGT. Best times: London open (4-5 PM SGT), US overlap (10:30 PM - 12:30 AM SGT). Avoid: UK lunch (6-8 PM SGT) - lower volume.
55-65% is typical for successful scalpers with 1:1 risk-reward. Higher win rates possible with smaller targets. Key is positive expectancy: (Win% × Avg Win) > (Loss% × Avg Loss).
Per trade: Max 1% of account. Daily limit: Max 3%. Stop loss: Always before entry, never move away. Consecutive losses (3-4): Take break. Position size: Calculated from risk and stop distance.
Watch DOM for bid/ask imbalances, absorption at levels, and aggressive flow. Trade with aggressive buyers (buy) or sellers (sell). Confirm S/R levels with order flow response. Look for exhaustion to fade.
Low vol: Smaller targets (3-5 pts), tighter stops (2-4 pts). High vol: Larger targets (8-15 pts), wider stops (6-10 pts), possibly reduced size. Use ATR to measure current volatility.
Check H1 for daily bias (trend direction), M15/M30 for session structure, M1/M5 for entry timing. Only take scalps aligned with higher timeframe direction. Counter-trend scalps are lower probability.
With multiple contracts, can exit portions at different targets. Example: Half at 5 points, half at 10. Benefits: Locks in profit, lets winner run. Only use with clear setups showing continuation potential.
Mandatory break after 3-4 consecutive losses. Daily loss limit ends session. Pre-commit to rules before session. Journal emotions with trades. Recognize triggers. Physical break (walk away from screen).
Build system: Signal generation (momentum, S/R, flow), execution (position sizing, order management), risk controls (daily limits, circuit breakers). Test extensively. Start with semi-automation.
Delta = Buy volume - Sell volume. Cumulative delta (CVD) shows running total. Rising CVD = Net buying, Falling = Net selling. CVD divergence from price signals weak moves. Use for entry confirmation.
Daily loss limit: Auto-stop at threshold. Consecutive losses: Pause after 4. Rapid loss: 3 in 10 min = 30 min pause. Volatility spike: Reduce size. News blackout: No trading 5 min before/after.
Adjust size based on performance. Drawdown 5%: Reduce 25%. Drawdown 10%: Reduce 50%. Winning streak: Maintain size (don't increase). Purpose: Preserve capital during rough periods, avoid overconfidence.
Walk-forward testing: Optimize on period 1, test period 2, roll forward. Track by dimension (setup type, time, volatility). Need 100+ trades for significance. Avoid over-optimization. Keep robust.
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