Help CenterCan I trade during news events? (Straddling restrictions explained)
Yes, you can trade around news events — but certain strategies designed to exploit price gaps or volatility during announcements are strictly prohibited.
❌ What Is Not Allowed
OFP considers the following “straddling” behaviors as Prohibited Strategies:
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Opening opposite positions (long & short) right before or during a news release to guarantee a profit regardless of direction.
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Placing multiple pending orders on both sides of the market before news, with the intention of catching a price spike.
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Exploiting delayed feeds, slippage, or spread widening around news times.
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Coordinating trades across multiple accounts to amplify news-driven gains.
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You must avoid trading from 2 minutes before until 2 minutes after the release of any high-risk volatility news. Stay informed by following our dashboard and on https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/.
✅ What Is Allowed
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Trading during news events with a normal strategy (trend-following, breakout, reversal, etc.) is permitted.
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Using proper risk management (reasonable lot sizes, stop losses) is always expected.
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If you take a directional view and manage risk correctly, your trades are valid — even if they coincide with a news release.
⚠️ Why This Rule Exists
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News events create extreme volatility, spreads widen, and prices may gap.
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Straddling artificially removes risk and can abuse the evaluation model, which is why it is not allowed.
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To ensure fairness, OFP only prohibits abusive “sure-win” tactics, not genuine trading strategies.