AquaFutures EOD Drawdown Mode: How End-of-Day Calculations Protect Your Account

End-of-day (EOD) drawdown tracking is one of the most forgiving risk structures in prop trading. Instead of updating your drawdown in real-time as you trade, AquaFutures only recalculates it once per day at market close. This gives you room to hold through volatile sessions and recover from intraday swings without breaching your account.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with Aquafutures and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check Aquafutures´s website or their faq page.

If you've ever been stopped out of an evaluation because you hit -3% intraday but would have recovered to -1% by close, EOD tracking solves that problem. Your drawdown only registers what your account equity is at the end of the day—not what it was during the session.

I'm breaking down exactly how EOD drawdown works at AquaFutures, which accounts use it, how it compares to intraday trailing drawdown, and why it's easier to manage for most traders.

What Is EOD Drawdown Tracking?

EOD drawdown tracking means your maximum drawdown is calculated once per day at market close—not tick-by-tick during the trading session.

Here's how it works: Let's say you start with a $50K account. Your max drawdown is 5%, which is $2,500. You make $1,000 on Day 1. Your new balance is $51,000, and your drawdown threshold is $51,000 - $2,500 = $48,500.

On Day 2, you're trading and you're down $2,800 intraday. Your account equity drops to $48,200. With intraday trailing drawdown, you'd be breached immediately—you're $300 below your $48,500 threshold.

But with EOD tracking, as long as you recover by market close, you're fine. If you close Day 2 at -$400 (account equity $50,600), your drawdown only registers the -$400. The $2,800 intraday swing never counts against you.

This structure gives you breathing room. You can hold through volatile sessions, ride out drawdowns, and recover—as long as you're green or only slightly red by close.

Which AquaFutures Accounts Use EOD Drawdown?

Not all AquaFutures accounts use EOD tracking. Here's the breakdown:

Accounts with EOD Drawdown:

• Beginner evaluation accounts
• Instant funded accounts
• Most giveaway accounts

Accounts with Intraday Trailing Drawdown:

• Standard evaluation accounts
• Instant Pro accounts

If you're choosing between account types, the drawdown structure should be a major factor. EOD tracking is objectively easier to manage for traders who hold positions through market volatility.

How EOD Trailing Drawdown Updates Daily

EOD drawdown is still a trailing drawdown, which means your threshold moves up as you make profits—but it only updates once per day.

Here's a 5-day example on a $50K account:

Notice on Day 2, the intraday low was $47,900—well below the starting threshold of $48,500. With intraday tracking, the account would have breached. But with EOD tracking, the account closed at $50,500, so the drawdown only registered -$500 from the starting balance.

This is the power of EOD tracking: intraday swings don't matter. Only your closing equity counts.

EOD vs Intraday Trailing Drawdown: The Key Difference

The difference between EOD and intraday trailing drawdown comes down to when your drawdown updates.

EOD Trailing Drawdown:

• Updates once per day at market close
• Intraday swings don't count against you
• You can recover from large intraday losses
• More forgiving for swing traders and position holders

Intraday Trailing Drawdown:

• Updates in real-time, tick-by-tick
• Every intraday low counts against your threshold
• You can breach mid-session before you get a chance to exit
• Requires tighter stops and faster risk management

For a detailed comparison of both structures, see the Maximum Drawdown Rules guide.

Here's a side-by-side example: You start with $50,000 and your threshold is $47,500 (5% max drawdown).

Scenario: You're down $2,800 intraday (account equity $47,200), but you recover to -$500 by close ($49,500).

With EOD tracking, you survive. With intraday tracking, you're done—even though you recovered.

Why EOD Drawdown Is Easier to Manage

EOD tracking is objectively easier to manage for most trading styles:

You can hold through volatility. If you trade NQ or ES through high-impact news, you're going to see intraday swings. EOD tracking lets you ride those swings without breaching mid-session.

You don't need 10-tick stops. With intraday tracking, you need extremely tight stops to avoid breaching. With EOD tracking, you can use wider stops that give your trades room to breathe.

You can average into positions. If you scale into a position and the first entry goes against you, you have time to add to the position and recover by close. Intraday tracking would stop you out before you get the chance.

Recovery trades are possible. If you're down $1,500 by noon, you can take another trade in the afternoon to recover. With intraday tracking, you might already be breached by the time you try to recover.

The trade-off: EOD tracking encourages holding through losses, which can be dangerous if you don't have strong risk management. Some traders blow their accounts by holding losing positions all day hoping to recover. If you're disciplined about cutting losers, EOD tracking is a huge advantage. If you hold and hope, it can work against you.

How to Use EOD Drawdown to Your Advantage

If you're trading an EOD drawdown account, here's how to maximize the structure:

1. Plan Your Session Around Market Close

You don't need to panic about intraday swings. Focus on where your account will close at the end of the day. If you're down $2,000 at 2pm, you have two hours to recover—or at least minimize the damage.

This doesn't mean hold losing trades indefinitely. It means you have time to execute a recovery plan instead of being forced out mid-session.

2. Use Wider Stops

With EOD tracking, you can afford to use stops that give your trades room to move. On ES, instead of a 10-tick stop, you can use 15-20 ticks without worrying about breaching mid-session from a single bad trade.

Just make sure your stop loss keeps you within your drawdown threshold if the trade goes max loss. You still can't afford to lose more than 5% by close.

3. Don't Abuse the Recovery Window

The biggest mistake traders make with EOD tracking is holding losing trades all day hoping they'll recover. If a trade is going against you and it's clearly wrong, cut it. Don't rely on EOD tracking to save you from bad decisions.

Use EOD tracking for legitimate volatility—not as an excuse to hold losing positions.

4. Track Your Closing Equity Daily

Your drawdown updates at market close, so your closing equity is the only number that matters. Track it daily and make sure you know where your threshold is at all times.

If you close Monday at $51,000, your new threshold is $48,500. Don't start Tuesday thinking you still have $50,000 worth of cushion—you don't.

What Time Does Market Close for EOD Calculations?

AquaFutures uses 4:00 PM ET as the official market close for EOD drawdown calculations on US futures. This is when the primary futures session closes for ES, NQ, and other major contracts.

If you're holding positions into the overnight session (post-4pm), those P&L swings don't count against today's EOD drawdown. They roll into tomorrow's calculation.

Example: You close the day at $51,000 at 4:00 PM ET. At 6:00 PM, your open position swings to -$1,500 (account equity $49,500). That -$1,500 doesn't count against today's EOD drawdown—it counts against tomorrow's opening balance.

This is important if you're a swing trader holding positions overnight. The EOD snapshot happens at 4pm, not at the end of the 24-hour session.

EOD Drawdown on Funded Accounts

Once you pass your evaluation and get funded, your account continues to use EOD drawdown tracking if that's what you started with.

Beginner account evaluations use EOD tracking → funded accounts use EOD tracking.

Instant accounts use EOD tracking → stay EOD after activation.

The structure doesn't change when you transition to funded. This is good—it means you're not suddenly dealing with a harder risk management structure after you pass.

Can You Switch From Intraday to EOD Drawdown?

No. Once you start an account with intraday tracking (like the Standard account), you can't switch to EOD tracking mid-evaluation.

If you want EOD tracking, you need to start a new account that offers it—Beginner or Instant.

The account type determines the drawdown structure, and it's locked in from Day 1.

Does EOD Drawdown Apply to Daily Loss Limits?

No—EOD drawdown tracking is separate from daily loss limits.

If your account has a daily loss limit (like the Beginner account's 2.5% limit), that limit is enforced intraday, not at market close. If you hit -2.5% at any point during the session, you breach immediately—even if you would have recovered by close.

The Beginner account uses EOD trailing drawdown but intraday daily loss limits. These are two separate rules:

• Max drawdown (5%): Calculated at market close (EOD)
• Daily loss limit (2.5%): Enforced in real-time (intraday)

If you breach either rule, your account terminates. The EOD structure only applies to the max drawdown calculation—not to the daily loss limit.

EOD Drawdown and the Consistency Rule

EOD drawdown tracking doesn't affect the consistency rule. The consistency rule limits how much of your total profit can come from a single day—it's unrelated to how your drawdown is calculated.

You could have EOD drawdown and still violate the consistency rule if 50% of your profits come from one big day.

The two rules operate independently:

• EOD drawdown: Protects you from breaching mid-session
• Consistency rule: Prevents you from relying on one lucky trade

Both rules apply to most AquaFutures accounts, regardless of which drawdown structure you're using.

Accounts Without EOD Drawdown: What Changes?

If you're trading an account with intraday trailing drawdown (Standard or Instant Pro), here's what's different:

Your drawdown updates in real-time. Every tick counts. If your open position drops below your threshold, you breach immediately—no chance to recover.

You need tighter stops. You can't afford to hold through -$2,000 swings and hope to recover by close. You'll be breached before you get the chance.

Position sizing is critical. One oversized trade can breach your account in minutes. You need smaller position sizes and more disciplined entries.

Recovery trades are riskier. If you're down $1,200 intraday and you take another trade to recover, you're risking a full breach if that trade also goes against you.

For a full comparison of EOD vs intraday structures, see the Maximum Drawdown Rules guide.

Should You Choose an Account With EOD Drawdown?

If you're choosing between account types, here's when EOD drawdown makes sense:

Choose EOD drawdown if:

• You hold positions through volatile sessions
• You trade major news events like NFP or FOMC
• You use wider stops (15+ ticks on ES)
• You're a swing trader who holds positions for hours
• You want more room to recover from bad trades

Choose intraday drawdown if:

• You're a scalper with tight stops (5-10 ticks)
• You're in and out within minutes
• You never hold through large intraday swings
• You want the challenge of tighter risk management

For most traders, EOD drawdown is the better choice. It's more forgiving, it allows for real trading strategies (not just scalping), and it doesn't punish you for holding through normal market volatility.

The Beginner account and Instant account both use EOD tracking—and they're AquaFutures' most popular account types for a reason.

Final Thoughts: EOD Drawdown Is a Major Advantage

EOD drawdown tracking is one of the most trader-friendly risk structures in prop trading. It gives you room to trade like a human—not a robot with 10-tick stops.

If you've ever blown an evaluation because you hit -3% intraday but recovered to -1% by close, EOD tracking solves that problem. Your drawdown only registers what matters: where you close the day.

The structure rewards good risk management without punishing you for normal intraday volatility. You can hold through news, ride out drawdowns, and recover—as long as you're disciplined about cutting losers when they're clearly wrong.

If you're choosing between AquaFutures account types, prioritize EOD drawdown. It's objectively easier to manage than intraday tracking, and it allows for more realistic trading strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does EOD drawdown calculate at AquaFutures?

4:00 PM ET is the official market close for EOD drawdown calculations. This is when the primary US futures session closes. Any P&L after 4pm rolls into the next day's calculation.

Can I breach an EOD drawdown account intraday?

Only if you have a daily loss limit (like the 2.5% limit on Beginner accounts). The max drawdown itself only updates at market close, but if your account has a separate daily loss limit, that rule is enforced intraday in real-time.

Does EOD drawdown reset each day?

No. EOD drawdown is still a trailing drawdown, which means your threshold moves up as you make profits. It's not a daily reset—it's a daily update based on your closing balance.

What happens if I close a position after 4:00 PM ET?

That P&L counts toward tomorrow's EOD calculation, not today's. The 4:00 PM ET snapshot is the official close. Anything after that rolls into the next trading day.

Can I hold positions overnight with EOD drawdown?

Yes. Overnight positions are fine. Just remember that their P&L counts toward the next day's EOD calculation, not today's. If you close Monday at $51,000 and your overnight position loses $1,000, Tuesday's starting balance is $50,000.

Which AquaFutures accounts use EOD drawdown?

Beginner evaluation accounts, Instant funded accounts, and most giveaway accounts use EOD trailing drawdown. Standard accounts and Instant Pro accounts use intraday trailing drawdown instead.

Is EOD drawdown easier than intraday trailing drawdown?

Yes. EOD tracking is objectively easier because intraday swings don't count against you. You can hold through volatile sessions and recover by close. Intraday tracking requires tighter stops and faster risk management.

Can I request EOD drawdown on a Standard account?

No. The Standard account uses intraday trailing drawdown by design. If you want EOD tracking, you need to start a Beginner or Instant account instead. The drawdown structure is determined by account type and can't be changed mid-evaluation.

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