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Big Trades

Big trades are individual transactions with above-average volume that indicate institutional activity and frequently occur at turning points or during breakouts.

Marco BösingBy Marco Bösing1 min read

What Are Big Trades?

Big trades are individual transactions whose volume significantly exceeds the average for the respective instrument. In Nasdaq-100 futures (NQ), the typical threshold is around 25–35 contracts, with higher settings on extreme days. In the ES (S&P 500 futures), correspondingly higher thresholds apply. The exact setting is adjusted to current market activity.

Big trades are relevant because they typically indicate larger market participants. Note that the data is aggregated — it does not necessarily represent a single actor, but can include several participants executing in quick succession. The occurrence of big trades at specific price levels can indicate accumulation, distribution, or the defense of a level.

Detection of big trades is accomplished through Time & Sales filters, footprint charts, or specialized order flow software that visually highlights large transactions.

Read the full article: Spotting Big Trades

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