Gold Futures Prop-Firm Strategy (GC) 1-18-2026 by mattkelly914
By mattkelly914
Performance Metrics
- Author: mattkelly914
- Symbol: COMEX:GC1!
- Timeframe: 15 minutes
- Net P&L: +7,610.00 USD (+0.76%)
- Win Rate: 70.5%
- Profit Factor: 1.606
- Max Drawdown: 7,370.00 USD (0.74%)
- Total Trades: 44
Description
OverviewThis is a long-only, session-based, multi-regime trading strategy designed specifically for Gold futures (GC / GC1!) on intraday timeframes (typically 5–15 minutes).The strategy aims to capture high-probability moves during the New York and Asian sessions while avoiding major economic news events and enforcing strict daily risk limits — making it suitable for prop firm challenges (e.g. FTMO, FundedNext, Apex, etc.) that require consistent profitability, limited drawdown, and disciplined risk management.Core PhilosophyTrade longs only (shorts were removed after analysis showed they were consistently unprofitable)Different logic depending on session and market regime (trending vs ranging)Heavy filtering using trend strength (ADX), volume confirmation, EMA alignment, Bollinger Bands, and RSIStrict position sizing, daily loss cap, per-session trade limits, and news blackout periodsTrailing stop mechanism to let winners run while protecting against reversalsTrading Sessions & Time Windows (Eastern Time)NY Session: 08:30 – 15:00 ETNY AM (trend/breakout zone): 08:30 – 11:30 ETNY PM (mean-reversion zone): 11:30 – 15:00 ETAsia Session (mean-reversion zone): 18:00 – 02:00 ETNews blackouts: short windows around high-impact releases (CPI/NFP, ISM/Fed, FOMC)Entry Logic (Long Only)NY AM – Trend Following & Breakouts (strongest trend filter)ADX > 30 (strong trend)Price above 200 EMA (bull regime)Fast EMA (21) crosses above Slow EMA (55) or breakout above 20-bar highVolume spike (> 1.4 × 20-period SMA)Max 2 trades per NY session per dayNY PM & Asia – Mean ReversionADX ≤ 30 (ranging market)Price below lower Bollinger Band (20, 2.0)RSI < 25 (deep oversold)No volume filter required hereMax 2 trades per Asia session per dayRisk Management RulesPosition size: Fixed 1–2 contracts (user selectable)Initial stop: 1.7 × ATR(14) below entry (tightened from original)Trailing stop:Activates after price moves +1.0 × ATR in profitTrails by 1.0 × ATR (locked-in profits aggressively)Daily loss limit: -$600 (stops all trading for the day once hit)No trading during defined news windowsPyramiding disabled (only one position at a time)No short entries (removed after backtest analysis)Indicators UsedEMA 21 / 55 / 200 (trend direction & filter)ATR(14) × 0.85 (volatility base)ADX(14) threshold 30 (strong trend confirmation)Bollinger Bands (20, 2.0) for mean-reversion entriesRSI(14) with oversold < 25Volume spike filter (1.4× SMA) for trend/breakout entries20-bar highest high / lowest low for breakout detectionVisual Elements on ChartFast (blue), Slow (orange), and Filter (red) EMAsBollinger Bands (gray, semi-transparent fill)Background coloring:Red tint during news blackout periodsPurple tint when daily loss limit is hitIntended Use CaseProp trading firm evaluation accountsConservative intraday gold tradingFocus on high-quality long setups in trending (NY AM) and mean-reverting (Asia/PM) environmentsGoal: positive expectancy with controlled drawdown, suitable for passing drawdown and profit targets