Apex Trader Funding trailing drawdown, explained

An intraday trailing drawdown of $2,500 that follows every new equity high the moment it prints, including while a trade is open. It does not freeze at the starting balance.

How the floor moves on Apex Trader Funding

Apex Trader Funding's drawdown is an intraday trailing threshold: the floor follows your highest equity the moment a new high prints, including unrealised highs while a position is open. Print a new peak and the floor rises with it; it never comes back down if price reverses.

That makes it the strictest common model. There is no separate cushion for open trades, so a spike you never bank still drags the line up behind you.

A worked example on the Apex 50K Full Account

Start at $50,000 with a $2,500 trail. Your open equity ticks up to $50,800 mid-trade: the floor immediately becomes $48,300, even if the trade reverses and closes flat. Later you print a $53,200 high: the floor is now $50,700, which means you can breach while still $700 above your starting balance. The trail does not freeze at the start during the evaluation.

What it means for your risk

Because the line trails, the floor is the single most important number on the account. Treat it as your risk line, protect new highs, and bank near targets rather than holding for the high tick: the high tick becomes your new floor.

Use the free Apex Trader Funding drawdown calculator to see your exact distance to breach from your current balance, peak and limit.

Key takeaways
  • The trail follows intraday peaks, so protect unrealised highs: a trade that spikes then reverses raises your floor and gives nothing back.
  • With no daily loss limit, the trailing threshold IS your risk line; treat $2,500 as the only number that matters.
  • Bank near round-number targets rather than holding for the high tick: the high tick becomes your new floor minus $2,500.

Figures reflect a common Apex Trader Funding account at the time of writing. Firms revise rules often, so verify against the Apex Trader Funding site before relying on them.

Merlin's gauges derive from closed trades. Your firm watches live equity including open positions.

MerlinTrade is independent trading-journal software and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apex Trader Funding. All trademarks belong to their owners.

FAQ

When does the Apex Trader Funding trailing floor move up?+

The moment your equity prints a new high, including unrealised highs while a position is open. It never moves back down.

Does the Apex Trader Funding trailing floor ever stop?+

No. It keeps following new equity highs for the life of the evaluation, which is why you can breach while still above your $50,000 starting balance.

Track your Apex Trader Funding rules from your trades.

Import your trades and Merlin computes your distance to every limit from your closed trades, and the Pre-Trade Check flags the trade that breaks your rules before you take it.

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