Futures Contract Specs
Tick value, point value, the micro equivalent, regular trading hours, and approximate margin for the major equity index, energy, metals, Treasury and FX futures, in one quick table you can bookmark.
Every trader ends up hunting for the same handful of numbers: what a tick is worth, the point value, when the cash session runs, whether there’s a micro, and how much margin a contract ties up. They’re all here, in Central Time, for the contracts most prop and retail traders actually trade.
- What it is
- A quick reference for futures specs
- Markets
- Index, energy, metals, rates, FX
- Each row
- Tick, point, micro, hours, margin
- Hours shown in
- US Central Time (CT)
- Margins
- Approx. snapshot, verify live
The reference table
Search by symbol or name, or filter by group. Each symbol links to the position size calculator so you can size a trade on it in one click.
| Contract | Tick | Point value | Micro | Regular hours (CT) | Margin (initial · intraday) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Index | |||||
| ESE-mini S&P 500 · CME | 0.25 · $12.5 | $50 | MES · 1/10 | 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM CT | $26,500 · $500 |
| NQE-mini Nasdaq-100 · CME | 0.25 · $5 | $20 | MNQ · 1/10 | 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM CT | $39,900 · $1,000 |
| YME-mini Dow ($5) · CBOT | 1 · $5 | $5 | MYM · 1/10 | 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM CT | $16,700 · $500 |
| RTYE-mini Russell 2000 · CME | 0.1 · $5 | $50 | M2K · 1/10 | 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM CT | $11,950 · $500 |
| Energy | |||||
| CLCrude Oil · NYMEX | 0.01 · $10 | $1,000 | MCL · 1/10 | 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM CT | $7,300 · $1,000 † |
| NGHenry Hub Natural Gas · NYMEX | 0.001 · $10 | $10,000 | - | 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM CT | $3,700 · $1,000 † |
| Metals | |||||
| GCGold · COMEX | 0.1 · $10 | $100 | MGC · 1/10 | 7:20 AM – 12:30 PM CT | $7,600 · $2,000 † |
| SISilver (5,000 oz) · COMEX | 0.005 · $25 | $5,000 | SIL · 1/5 | 7:25 AM – 12:25 PM CT | $11,500 · $4,000 † |
| HGCopper (25,000 lb) · COMEX | 0.0005 · $12.5 | $25,000 | MHG · 1/10 | 7:10 AM – 12:00 PM CT | $3,300 · $1,000 |
| Treasuries | |||||
| ZB30-Year U.S. T-Bond · CBOT | 0.03125 · $31.25 | $1,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $4,480 · $500 |
| ZN10-Year U.S. T-Note · CBOT | 0.015625 · $15.625 | $1,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $2,270 · $500 |
| ZF5-Year U.S. T-Note · CBOT | 0.0078125 · $7.8125 | $1,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $1,510 · $500 |
| ZT2-Year U.S. T-Note · CBOT | 0.00390625 · $7.8125 | $2,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $1,450 · $500 |
| FX | |||||
| 6EEuro FX (125,000 €) · CME | 0.00005 · $6.25 | $125,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $2,900 · $500 |
| 6BBritish Pound (62,500 £) · CME | 0.0001 · $6.25 | $62,500 | M6B · 1/10 | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $2,300 · $500 |
| 6JJapanese Yen (¥12.5M) · CME | 5e-7 · $6.25 | $12,500,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $3,150 · $500 |
| 6AAustralian Dollar (100,000 A$) · CME | 0.00005 · $5 | $100,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $2,300 · $500 |
| 6CCanadian Dollar (100,000 C$) · CME | 0.00005 · $5 | $100,000 | - | 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM CT | $1,100 · $500 |
How to read each row
Six columns, the numbers you actually need. Here’s what each one means and where it comes from.
Tick and point value
The tick is the smallest move a contract can make; tick value is what that move is worth per contract. A point is a full 1.0 move (tick value divided by tick size).
On ES a tick is 0.25 ($12.50) and a point is worth $50.
Micro equivalent
Where a market has a micro contract, it shares the same tick size at a fraction of the dollar value. Micros let you size precisely and keep per-trade risk small.
One-tenth the value on most contracts, one-fifth on silver.
Hours and margin
Regular hours (RTH) are the cash-session window in Central Time; the electronic Globex session runs nearly around the clock.
Margin is the per-contract capital a broker requires, shown as a dated snapshot to verify live.
Margin vs. position limits
Trade self-funded and you post the exchange margin yourself, per contract. In a funded or evaluation ETF account you post none of your own margin, but the account’s position caps still apply. These are two different constraints, so read the margin column accordingly.
You post the margin
You post the broker’s required capital per contract to open and hold a position. The margin column in the table above is this number.
A normal self-funded brokerage account: your capital is on the line.
Position limits apply instead
The firm’s account posts the margin, not you. Your real constraint is the position cap on how many minis and micros you may hold, plus the account’s maximum drawdown and any daily loss limit.
On a funded or evaluation account the margin column does not apply.
Overnight margin responsibilities →Why it matters
On a funded account the table’s margin figures tell you the size and leverage of a contract, not your buying power. What you can actually hold is set by the account’s position limits, and what you can lose before it’s gone is set by the maximum drawdown (plus, on some plans, a daily loss limit).
Turn a contract’s tick value into a position size on the Position Size Calculator, see how a losing run moves your drawdown floor on the Risk of Ruin Calculator, then pick a plan on the evaluations page.
Frequently asked questions
Know the contract? Trade it funded.
Once you know what a contract is worth, the next step is trading it without risking your own capital. Pick the evaluation that fits how you trade and get funded.
Browse evaluationsAccount sizes and risk parameters are subject to change.
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