Position sizing is fundamentally a risk‐management technique, though it’s often grouped under the broader umbrella of money management, because it determines how much capital is exposed to the market on each trade. In AFT8, static position sizing sets a fixed number of contracts (Lots) regardless of market conditions. In contrast, dynamic position sizing uses a fixed-fractional method to adjust the number of contracts based on factors such as volatility, account equity, or predefined risk parameters.
By configuring and calibrating trade size to the amount you’re willing to lose, based on your stop size and the number of lots per trade, total trade risk is directly controlled. If the market moves against you, position sizing enforces consistent per‐trade risk limits. In that sense, while it informs your overarching money‐management plan (i.e., how much capital you allocate overall), its primary role is to enforce consistent risk limits, making position sizing a cornerstone of effective risk management; stop‐loss/risk management is the complementary component.
Why use dynamic position sizing instead of a static lot size?
Instruments differ in point/tick value or volatility, so, for example, 3 lots on NQ might equate to 12 lots on RTY to achieve the same trade‐risk exposure. To maintain equal weighting when trading multiple instruments, the lot size must be adjusted so that each trade carries the same risk in cash or as a percentage of trade‐risk capital. By tracking volatility, a system can maintain a constant risk per trade: position size decreases when volatility is high and increases when volatility is low.
Ways to Change Position Size with AFT8
It’s very easy to view, edit, set, change, and configure position size and risk management within AFT8 after some exploration. Settings can be configured and saved along with workspaces.
- NinjaTrader 8: Use Chart Trader, Order Ticket, or DOM to set the quantity for manual entries. This is static position sizing and can be adjusted at any time, up or down in real-time.
- AFT8 Algo Entry Module: In the Market Analyzer column, parameters for the Algo Entry Module, you can define static or fixed‐fractional position sizing. Templates can be viewed, edited, and saved under a unique name, usually for set-and-forget settings.
- AFT8 Algo Entry Controller: The pop‐up controller can be configured for static, fixed lots per trade or to leverage advanced risk‐management features such as fixed‐fractional sizing and institutional money‐management patterns like fund‐of‐funds for trading with asset streams- settings can be changed in real-time on the fly.
Note: Turnkey Workspaces 1 provides only the Trade Manager module, so quantity is configured via the NinjaTrader components. From Turnkey Workspace 2 onward, the Algo Entry Module/Controller allows quantity to be set and saved directly in the AFT8 settings.
TIP: Remember to save your settings templates and workspace under a unique name to prevent losing changes during updates!
For full details, please visit this ATS Help Desk article on AFT8 Risk Management Position Sizing