How to Set Up ATM Strategies in NinjaTrader

Auto bracket orders that place your stop-loss and take-profit automatically the moment you enter a trade.

What an ATM Strategy Is

ATM = Advanced Trade Management. It automatically places:

  • your stop-loss
  • your take-profit
  • breakeven triggers
  • auto trailing stops (optional)

It ties directly into proper execution from Execution vs Idea.

Step 1: Open the ATM Strategy Menu

  1. Open a chart in NinjaTrader.
  2. Enable Chart Trader (press Ctrl + T).
  3. Look at the ATM dropdown (top-right of Chart Trader).
  4. Select Custom...

Step 2: Set Your Auto Bracket

In the Custom ATM window, set:

  • Stop-Loss (ticks)
  • Profit Target (ticks)

Step 3: Add a Breakeven Trigger

  1. Under More, open Breakeven settings.
  2. Example configuration:
    • At 8 ticks in profit → move stop to -2 ticks

Step 4: Add Auto-Trail (optional)

Auto-trail lets your stop follow price automatically.

  1. Open Auto Trail.
  2. Set:
    • Trigger
    • Step size
    • Frequency

Step 5: Save the ATM Strategy

  1. At the top, name your strategy something like 12tickSL_20tickPT_BE8.
  2. Click Save.

Step 6: Use It When Trading

  1. Open Chart Trader.
  2. Select your strategy from the dropdown.
  3. Place a market/limit/stop order.
  4. Your stop-loss + take-profit auto-place instantly.

How ATM Helps Prop Firm Evaluations

Prop firms punish sloppiness, revenge trading, and huge stop-losses. ATMs enforce discipline automatically.

See also:

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