Can I swing trade the ES futures?

Hello everyone. I have a question that may be a little stupid but I couldn't find the answer anywhere else, then I found this forum. I'm interested in trading the ES but I don't want to day trade it. I want to be able to hold my position for a week or more. Is that possible? If so, how? I would rather not trade the weekly options of the ES. Thanks in advance for any help.

Curious Trader

Just maintain your broker's overnight margin to carry the open contract(s) across the end of the current trading session. If you do not have sufficient margin to cover the open position, your broker will close the position for you just before the end of the current trading session. Talk to your account manager to find out the specific times and amounts of the margin requirements for the contracts your working with.

Thanks PT. That makes a lot of sense. Now I know why the overnight margin is higher. I will definitely check for specifics. One more question if you don't mind? Will maintaining the overnight margin keep my position open through the Friday afternoon close until the Sunday afternoon open? Thanks again.

Curious Trader

You could close your position and then reopen it everyday and then close on Fri open on Sun if you don't mind paying the extra commissions. Some Brokers don't consider overnite to be bell to bell only the down time for settlement. (this will avoid having the higher overnite margin req.)

Anyway with that said why dont you just trade the SPY instead, since you're interested in holding for longer time frames? Why do you want to involve your self with risk of market spikes due to Fiscal Cliff talks when you don't have to.

I wanted to come up with a good analogy here like " you're buying a bulldozer when a garden shovel will do" but I couldn't think of one.

Originally posted by Curious Trader

Thanks PT. That makes a lot of sense. Now I know why the overnight margin is higher. I will definitely check for specifics. One more question if you don't mind? Will maintaining the overnight margin keep my position open through the Friday afternoon close until the Sunday afternoon open? Thanks again.

Curious Trader

Exchange rules treat the weekend the same as any other day of the week. All that matters to your broker is you have adequate margin in your account before the close of the current trading session for all open contract(s).