Flat by CloseFrequently asked questions
Straight answers about Flat by Close, its record and how to follow it.
What is Flat by Close?
Flat by Close is a futures signal service that publishes every trade of one automated, mechanical strategy for the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) and E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) futures. Every trade has a fixed target and stop set at entry, and every position is closed before the end of the regular session, so nothing is held overnight. It is run by Holden ERP Solutions Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and posts on X as @flatbyclosehq.
How can I check the track record?
Every trade the strategy has taken in real time since Aug 25, 2026 is published, losing trades and losing days included, and you can download the whole list as a CSV file. Since October 23, 2026 every entry and exit has also been posted on X as it happened, so the record can be checked against the public timeline. The record is simulated: the strategy runs on a simulation account, so the figures are not actual trading results.
What are the results so far?
From Aug 25, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026 the real-time simulated record is +$9,205 on 150 trades at one ES and one NQ contract per signal, with 70.7% winning trades, a profit factor of 1.19, a deepest drawdown of −$5,752.50 and a worst day of −$3,740. The last full month, October 2026, was +$6,372.50 on 62 trades. Figures are before commissions and fees. See monthly results and performance.
How does the strategy decide when to trade?
One fixed, proprietary rule set decides everything, with no discretion. The rules weigh trend conditions, market internals and the day's trading activity, decide at the open whether each market trades that day, and then enter as signals qualify. The exact rules are not published.
How many trades a day, and how long do they last?
Typically a handful of trades a day across ES and NQ, many lasting only minutes, all during the regular US session. On some days one or both markets sit out entirely.
What markets can I trade the signals on?
The signals are for ES and NQ futures. Micro contracts (MES and MNQ) are one-tenth of the size and are the usual choice for smaller accounts. Copier software can also map them to index CFDs on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100.
What does it cost?
Following on X is free: every entry and exit in real time for a limited time, then each trade posted after it closes, plus a daily recap card. Real-time signals on Telegram, with exact stop and target prices in a copier-ready format, cost $299 USD a month; code FLAT15 takes 15% off the first 3 months. Cancel any time. See pricing.
Can I automate the signals?
Yes, on your own side. Telegram signals use one fixed message format that trade-copier software can read, so you can place them automatically on your own platform at your own size. We use Trade Dispensary on our own copy test account and publish how closely the copy tracks the signals on the automation page. We may earn a commission if you buy through that link. We never see or touch your account.
How much capital do I need?
Size for the bad stretches. At one ES and one NQ the deepest drawdown in the real-time simulated record has been −$5,752.50 and the worst day −$3,740; at micro size about a tenth of that. Choose a size you could hold through a drawdown at least as deep, because the next one can be deeper.
Does it trade on news days and holidays?
No. There are no signals on CPI, FOMC-decision or non-farm payroll days, or on market holidays, and a few other announced no-trade days. A note goes out on X beforehand.
Who is Flat by Close not for?
It is not for anyone who cannot afford to lose the money they trade, wants advice tailored to their own situation, wants to hold positions overnight, or would be uncomfortable with a design where losing trades are larger than winning trades and the edge relies on a high win rate. Check your broker's and account provider's rules before copying any third-party signals.
Is this financial advice?
No. The signals are general and the same for every subscriber, and take no account of your finances, experience or goals. You decide whether and how to act on them.
All trades are executed in a simulation account, not a live market.
These results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations. Unlike the results shown in an actual performance record, these results do not represent actual trading. Also, because these trades have not actually been executed, these results may have under- or over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated or hypothetical trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to these being shown.