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Futures tick value calculator

Profit or loss on a futures move = ticks × tick value × contracts. Pick a CME contract and a WhitePips plan to see what a move is worth and how many ticks the plan's limits allow.

  • $12.50one ES tick (0.25)
  • $5.00one NQ tick (0.25)
  • 1/10a micro of its mini
Your figures
Contracts
Move
The result
Profit or loss—
This move against the daily loss limit—
0—
This move against the max loss limit—
0—
Ticks in the move—
One point, per contract—
Plan's position limit—
Ticks to the daily loss limit—
Ticks to the max loss limit—
The formulaIn words

How it is calculated

P&L = (points moved ÷ tick size) × tick value × number of contracts

Count the ticks

A futures price moves in ticks, the smallest step the exchange allows: points moved ÷ tick size. 20 NQ points ÷ 0.25 = 80 ticks.

Price the ticks

Each tick has a fixed dollar value set by CME Group: 80 ticks × $5 = $400 per contract. A micro is exactly one tenth of its mini.

Multiply by the contracts

2 NQ contracts: $800. The same move on 2 MNQ is $80.

Tick values, from the exchange

ES · E-mini S&P 5000.25 = $12.50one point is $50; MES $1.25 a tick
NQ · E-mini Nasdaq 1000.25 = $5.00one point is $20; MNQ $0.50 a tick
CL · crude oil0.01 = $10.00a $1 move is $1,000; MCL $1.00 a tick
GC · gold0.10 = $10.00a $1 move is $100; MGC $1.00 a tick
Worked example

Against a $50K WhitePips futures plan

On a $50K One Step the evaluation's Maximum Loss Limit is $2,000 (EOD Trailing) and the position limit is 4 Mini | 40 Micro; a micro is one tenth of a mini, so the limit is the same exposure written twice. On a $50K Instant the Maximum Loss Limit is $2,500.

Exceeding the position limit once is a warning; a second time puts the account under review.

2 NQ, a 20-point move$80080 ticks × $5 × 2
2 MNQ, the same move$80
One Step $50K · Maximum Loss Limit$2,000EOD Trailing
One Step $50K · position limit4 Mini | 40 Micro
Instant $50K · Maximum Loss Limit$2,500Intraday
The WhitePips rule it meets

Maximum Position Size

Each futures plan caps the contracts held at once, written as minis and micros (4 Mini | 40 Micro on a $50K One Step). Exceeding it once is a warning; a second time puts the account under review.

The rule, explained Futures accounts

For education. The results are arithmetic on the figures you enter; the contract specification, prices and commission on your platform decide real results. Nothing here is financial advice, and trading leveraged products can lose money.

QuestionsShort answers

Futures tick value calculator: questions

How much is one point on ES and NQ?

ES: $50 a point ($12.50 a tick of 0.25). NQ: $20 a point ($5 a tick). The micros MES and MNQ are one tenth: $5 and $2 a point.

How many micros equal one mini?

Ten. A micro contract is exactly one tenth of the mini, so WhitePips writes each position limit both ways, for example 4 Mini | 40 Micro.

Are tick values the same at every firm?

Yes. They are CME Group's contract specifications. What a firm sets is how many contracts you may hold, the loss limits and the trading hours.

When are futures positions closed on WhitePips?

At 3:55 PM Chicago time, every session and before the weekend; there is no overnight holding on the futures plans.

CFDs and futuresNo time limit

Put the numbers to work

Every plan, size and price, with the rules printed before you buy. No time limit on any evaluation.

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