All contract specs at a glance
| Symbol | Contract | Tick size | $/tick | $/point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $12.5 | $50 |
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $1.25 | $5 |
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $5 | $20 |
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $0.5 | $2 |
| YM | E-mini Dow ($5) | 1 | $5 | $5 |
| MYM | Micro E-mini Dow | 1 | $0.5 | $0.5 |
| RTY | E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.1 | $5 | $50 |
| M2K | Micro E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.1 | $0.5 | $5 |
| CL | Crude Oil | 0.01 | $10 | $1,000 |
| MCL | Micro WTI Crude Oil | 0.01 | $1 | $100 |
| NG | Natural Gas | 0.001 | $10 | $10,000 |
| GC | Gold | 0.1 | $10 | $100 |
| MGC | Micro Gold | 0.1 | $1 | $10 |
| SI | Silver | 0.005 | $25 | $5,000 |
| SIL | Micro Silver (1,000 oz) | 0.005 | $5 | $1,000 |
| HG | Copper | 0.0005 | $12.5 | $25,000 |
| ZB | 30-Year T-Bond | 0.03125 | $31.25 | $1,000 |
| ZN | 10-Year T-Note | 0.015625 | $15.625 | $1,000 |
| ZF | 5-Year T-Note | 0.007813 | $7.8125 | $1,000 |
| ZT | 2-Year T-Note | 0.003906 | $7.8125 | $2,000 |
| 6E | Euro FX | 0.00005 | $6.25 | $125,000 |
| 6B | British Pound | 0.0001 | $6.25 | $62,500 |
| 6J | Japanese Yen | 0.0000005 | $6.25 | $12,500,000 |
| ZC | Corn | 0.25 | $12.5 | $50 |
| ZS | Soybeans | 0.25 | $12.5 | $50 |
| ZW | Wheat | 0.25 | $12.5 | $50 |
| BTC | Bitcoin (5 BTC) | 5 | $25 | $5 |
| MBT | Micro Bitcoin (0.1 BTC) | 5 | $0.5 | $0.1 |
How futures tick value works
Every futures contract moves in a minimum increment called a tick, and each tick is worth a fixed dollar amount per contract. Your profit or loss is simply ticks moved × tick value × contracts. For ES, a tick is 0.25 index points worth $12.50, so one full point is four ticks, or $50 per contract.
Micro contracts are one-tenth the size of their E-mini parent: MES ticks are worth $1.25 instead of $12.50, and MNQ ticks $0.50 instead of $5. That makes micros the easiest way to size down while learning or to fine-tune risk inside a prop-firm account.
Why it matters for your risk
Knowing the dollar value of your stop before you enter is the whole game. A 10-point stop on NQ is $200 per contract; the same stop on ES is $500. Use the position size calculator to turn a stop distance into a contract count that fits your risk.
FAQ
How much is one tick on ES?
One ES tick is 0.25 index points and is worth $12.50 per contract, so one full point is $50.
How much is one point on NQ?
NQ ticks are 0.25 points worth $5, so one point is $20 per contract. On the micro (MNQ) one point is $2.
What is the tick value of crude oil (CL)?
CL moves in $0.01 ticks worth $10 per contract, so a $1.00 move is $1,000. Micro crude (MCL) is $1 per tick.
Do these numbers include commissions?
No. They are gross values per contract; subtract your broker’s commissions and exchange fees.