Drawdown
EOD-trailing vs intraday-trailing
Also searched: end of day trailing · intraday trailing drawdown · EOD drawdown · real-time trailing
Among trailing drawdowns, the line either follows your live intraday peak (open profit included) or only ratchets when a trading day closes at a new high.
Definition
Once a firm uses a trailing max-loss line, the next question is WHEN the line moves — and the two answers behave very differently in the heat of a session.
An intraday trail follows your live equity peak in real time, counting open, unrealized profit. Float a trade $500 up and the line has already moved up $500 behind you, even before you close.
An end-of-day trail ignores intraday swings. It only ratchets up when you CLOSE a trading day at a new high-water balance. Your open profit during the day doesn't tighten the line.
Why it fails evaluations
The intraday trail punishes letting winners breathe: give back open profit and you can breach on a trade you never even closed in the red. Traders who 'let it run' without watching the trailing floor are the ones it catches.
The end-of-day trail sets a trap at the close: finish a day green and tomorrow you're measured against a higher floor. A good day quietly raises the bar you have to clear forever after.
Which trailing firms trail intraday vs end-of-day
Trailing — intraday (live peak)
6 firmsOpen profit counts; the line moves the moment your equity makes a new high.
Trailing — end of day
8 firmsOnly closed-day highs move the line; intraday float doesn't.
Static-drawdown firms don't trail at all, so they don't appear here — see the static vs trailing page for those.
FAQ
Does open profit count against an intraday trailing drawdown?
Yes — an intraday trail follows your live equity peak including unrealized profit, which is what makes giving back an open winner so dangerous.
When does an end-of-day trailing line move?
Only when you close a trading day at a new high balance. Intraday swings don't move it, but the max-loss breach is still checked in real time.
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