Topstep Adds PPI to Its Tier 1 News Window and Gives Micro Silver and Copper Their Own Caps

What happened

Topstep updated its help-center page on news and volatility limits on 19 October 2026 (Risk Adjustments: High Risk/High Volatility, last updated 19 October, 18:49 UTC). The biggest change: the Producer Price Index (PPI) is now on Topstep's list of Tier 1 News Events.

Topstep already restricted trading around four releases: CPI, Non-Farm Payrolls, the FOMC rate decision and the FOMC press conference. A Wayback Machine copy from 14 October lists only those four. The current page adds PPI as a fifth, with the same 10-minute window: 7:25 to 7:35 AM CT (8:25 to 8:35 AM ET).

The rules apply to Topstep's simulated accounts, the Trading Combine and Express Funded Accounts, and TopstepX enforces them automatically. Topstep is listed in the ProprietaryTrading.com directory.

How the Tier 1 window works

For five minutes before and five minutes after each Tier 1 release:

• Equity-index and metals minis (ES, NQ, RTY, YM, NKD, GC, SI, HG, PL): no new opening trades.
• Equity-index micros and micro gold (MES, MNQ, M2K, MYM, MGC): new opening trades are capped at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 15 contracts on the $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K and $250K accounts.
• Energies, rates and FX are not affected.
• Pending orders don't fill inside the window, and you can't place a new one meant to fill there.

What else changed

Comparing the 14 October copy with the 19 October page:

• Micro silver (SIL) and micro copper (MHG) have their own, lower news caps: 1, 2, 5, 7 and 12 contracts on the $25K to $250K accounts. Before, they shared the 1/3/6/9/15 caps with the other micros.
• Positions held into the window: the old page said only metals positions opened before 7:25 AM CT could be kept open. The new page says equity-index and metals positions opened more than five minutes before the release can be kept and managed through the window.
• Exits are spelled out: take-profit and stop-loss brackets that reduce or close a position are accepted during the window.
• Express Funded Accounts get a combined table. It shows the news-window limit alongside the Scaling Plan. For example, a $50K XFA with less than $1,500 in profit can open only 1 micro in the window, and a $150K XFA gets its full 9 micros only above $4,500.
• Normal restricted-product limits moved up slightly on the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account: micro crude (MCL) and micro gold (MGC) go from 30/60/90 to 31/62/93, and micro silver and copper from 2/4/6 to 2/5/7 (on the $50K/$100K/$150K sizes).
• The page now lists news-window caps for the Labs $3K Undead (3 micros) and $3K Slasher (1 micro) challenges. The $1.5K, $3K and $6K Challenges still allow no trading at all during Tier 1 events.

Why it matters

PPI comes out once a month at 8:30 AM ET, the same time as CPI and the jobs report, and it can move index futures just as hard. Anyone who trades the open of a PPI morning on a Topstep account now has a ten-minute block on minis and a hard cap on micros. Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI release schedule, the next PPI release is Friday, 13 November 2026, at 8:30 AM ET, so the first PPI window under the new rule runs 8:25 to 8:35 AM ET that day.

The wider rule on existing positions works the other way. If you're already in an ES or NQ trade before the window opens, you can keep managing it through the release.

FAQ

Q: Can I still trade on a Topstep account during PPI, CPI, NFP or FOMC? A: Yes, with limits. You can't open new equity-index or metals minis for the 10 minutes around the release, and micros are capped by account size. Energies, rates and FX trade normally.

Q: Will Topstep close a position I already hold? A: The page says equity-index and metals positions opened before the five-minute cutoff can stay open and be managed through the window. Stops and targets that reduce or close the position are accepted.

Q: Does this apply to Topstep's live funded accounts? A: The Tier 1 section is written for SIM accounts, meaning the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account. Check with Topstep for your exact account type.

Q: Is this an affiliate or partner offer? A: No. This is editorial coverage of Topstep's public rule change. ProprietaryTrading.com is not claiming a partner discount, promo code or tracked referral with Topstep in this article.

Sources: Topstep Help Center, Risk Adjustments: High Risk/High Volatility, checked 20 October 2026 (last updated 19 October 2026), compared with a Wayback Machine snapshot from 14 October 2026; US Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI release schedule. Rules can change, so confirm them with Topstep before you trade.