NQ session journal
Nasdaq 100 futures, session by session: news recap, macro events and heatmap reads.
Nasdaq 100 order flow, session after session
The NQ is the E-mini Nasdaq 100 future (CME), the most heavily day-traded tech index, alongside the MNQ (Micro) for smaller sizes. Its deep liquidity and fast moves make it ideal for order flow and heatmap reading: footprint, delta, absorption, imbalances and liquidity zones on the DOM (DeepDOM). Every session published here decodes those reads on watermarked DeepCharts screenshots.
Key moments of the NQ session (Paris time)
Nasdaq 100 futures trade nearly 24/7 on the CME, but the action concentrates around the Wall Street cash open at 15:30 (Paris) and the final hour before the close (the power hour, ~21:00–22:00). The journal focuses on those windows, where order flow is densest and most readable on the heatmap.
What moves the Nasdaq
Inflation (CPI, PCE), Fed decisions and speeches (FOMC), US jobs (NFP) and above all the quarterly earnings of big tech: these are the NQ's main catalysts. Each session lists the macro events in your timezone, with forecast and actual, to tie the order-flow read to its context.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the NQ (Nasdaq 100 futures) open?
The E-mini Nasdaq 100 future trades nearly 24/7 on the CME (Sunday 23:00 to Friday 22:00 Paris time, with a short daily break). The most active moment is the Wall Street cash open at 15:30 Paris time, followed by the final hour before the close.
What is order flow on the NQ?
It is the real-time reading of executing orders — footprint, delta, absorption, imbalances — combined with the liquidity shown on the heatmap and the DOM. On an instrument as liquid and fast as the Nasdaq 100, these tools help spot where buyers and sellers fight over price.
What is the difference between NQ and MNQ?
Same underlying (Nasdaq 100), but the MNQ (Micro) is one tenth of the NQ. The Micro lets you trade the exact same order-flow read with ten times less risk per point — handy to start out or fine-tune risk management.
Which macro events move the Nasdaq the most?
Inflation (CPI, PCE), Fed decisions and speeches (FOMC), US employment (NFP) and the quarterly earnings of major tech stocks. Each session in the journal lists these events in your local timezone.
Can you trade the NQ with order flow on a funded account?
Yes. Some prop firms build order-flow and heatmap tools right in. Phidias, for example, includes DeepCharts in its dashboard — the very tool used in these sessions — with nothing to install, from the evaluation onward.