Weekend Holding
Keeping open positions through the Friday market close and over the weekend, when most markets are closed but exposure continues.
Definition
Weekend holding is the practice of leaving open positions on a trading account over the weekend, when major markets (forex, equities, most futures) are closed. Positions remain exposed to gap risk: when markets reopen Sunday evening or Monday morning, price can open far from Friday's close, moving through stop-loss levels without execution. Some firms allow unrestricted weekend holding; others prohibit it entirely; others require all positions closed by a specific Friday deadline (often 4 PM EST or the equivalent in the firm's time zone).
Example
Why It Matters
Weekend holding turns a defined-risk position into an open-ended one. Gap moves bypass stops entirely and can trip daily or max drawdown limits on Sunday's open — before the trader has a chance to react. Futures-focused firms like Apex Trader Funding and Topstep ban weekend holding outright because futures markets close Friday afternoon and the gap risk is structural. Traders switching between firm types need to check the rule carefully — the same strategy can be fine on one account and a breach on another.