Micro Futures Tick Values Cheat Sheet (2026)

Micro futures tick values run from $0.05 to $5.00 a tick on the main CME Group micro contracts. The Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) is $1.25 a tick, the Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ), Micro Dow (MYM) and Micro Russell 2000 (M2K) are $0.50, and Micro WTI Crude Oil (MCL) and Micro Gold (MGC) are $1.00. Most micros are one tenth the size of their full-size contract.

• Tick value = tick size x contract size: on MES, 0.25 index points x $5 = $1.25. The same formula works for every micro in the table.
• Micros are fractions of a parent contract: MES is 1/10 of ES, MGC 1/10 of GC and MBT 1/50 of BTC. For E-minis and every other full-size contract, see the full futures tick value chart.
• Risk Management: knowing tick values helps set stop-loss levels and position sizes. Risking $100 on an MES trade means you can tolerate 80 ticks ($1.25 x 80).

What Is a Micro Futures Contract?

A micro futures contract is a smaller copy of a full-size CME Group contract on the same market, so every tick is worth a fraction of the full-size tick. MES is $5 x the S&P 500 Index against $50 for ES, so a 0.25-point tick is $1.25 instead of $12.50.

Micros trade on CME Globex next to their parent contracts. The stock index micros keep the same hours as the E-minis: Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET, with a daily maintenance break from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Grasping how tick sizes and values work is essential for calculating profit and loss accurately. Each futures contract has its own tick size and monetary value, which affects trading decisions. The National Futures Association underscores this by stating:

"You'll want to familiarize yourself with the minimum price fluctuation - the tick size - for whatever futures contracts you plan to trade. You'll also need to know how a price change of any given amount will affect the value of the contract."

This knowledge is vital for managing risk and making informed trading calculations.

Micro Futures Tick Value Table

The table lists 13 CME Group micro and small contracts with their tick size, tick value, point value, full-size parent and size ratio. The ratio compares contract sizes, so a 1/10 micro moves one tenth of the dollars of its parent for the same price move.

Contract specs checked on CME Group on 10 Oct 2026.

To turn any move in this table into dollars, use the futures profit calculator.

Stock Index Micros: MES, MNQ, MYM and M2K

The four stock index micros are each one tenth of their E-mini: MES ticks at $1.25, and MNQ, MYM and M2K at $0.50. MES and MNQ move in 0.25-point ticks, M2K in 0.10-point ticks and MYM in full 1-point ticks.

For each contract on its own, see the MES tick value guide. For the Nasdaq micro, see the MNQ tick value guide. For the Dow micro, see the MYM tick value guide.

All of these contracts trade on the CME. Because every one of them matches in Chicago, a CME VPS in Chicago is the standard hosting choice for traders who automate them.

Energy and Metals Micros

Micro WTI Crude Oil (MCL), Micro Henry Hub Natural Gas (MNG) and Micro Gold (MGC) all tick at $1.00, one tenth of CL, NG and GC. Micro Silver (SIL) is 1/5 of the 5,000-ounce silver contract and ticks at $5.00, and Micro Copper (MHG) ticks at $1.25.

CME does not call 1-Ounce Gold (1OZ) a micro: it is 1/100 of GC and ticks at $0.25.

For delivery months and hours, see the micro crude oil (MCL) contract specs. Natural gas has its own micro natural gas (MNG) specs. For gold, read the micro gold futures tick value guide. Silver traders can check the micro silver futures page.

FX, Rates and Crypto Micros

Micro EUR/USD (M6E) is one tenth of Euro FX (6E) and ticks at $1.25 in 0.0001 steps. Micro Bitcoin (MBT) is 0.1 bitcoin, 1/50 of the 5-bitcoin BTC contract, and ticks at $0.50; Micro Ether (MET) is 0.1 ether, 1/500 of the 50-ether ETH contract, and ticks at $0.05.

Interest rates have no row in this table. The 10-Year Yield future (10Y) is quoted in yield and is not a fraction of the 10-Year T-Note (ZN), so it sits in the full chart with the Treasury futures.

Calculating Profits, Losses, and Risk Using Tick Movements

Knowing how to calculate potential profits and losses is a cornerstone of successful E-mini trading. When your money is on the line, precision in these calculations is non-negotiable.

Step-by-Step Profit and Loss Calculations

In micro trading, the formula is the same as on any futures contract: multiply the dollar value of a single tick by the number of ticks the contract has moved since you entered the trade. Here is one example per sector.

E-mini S&P 500 (ES) Example:

Imagine you buy one ES contract at an index level of 5,000.00, and the market rises to 5,030.00. That’s a 30-point move. Since each tick in the ES equals 0.25 points and is worth $12.50, you’ll first convert points to ticks.

• 30 points ÷ 0.25 tick size = 120 ticks
• 120 ticks × $12.50 per tick = $1,500 profit

If the market moved against you by the same amount, you’d face a $1,500 loss. This calculation applies whether the market goes up or down.

Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) Example:

Now, let’s look at the same 30-point move using an MES contract. The tick size remains 0.25 points, but each tick is worth only $1.25.

• 30 points ÷ 0.25 tick size = 120 ticks
• 120 ticks × $1.25 per tick = $150 profit or loss

This smaller financial impact makes MES contracts a better fit for traders with smaller accounts. On Nasdaq futures the tick is also 0.25 points, so 30 points is 120 ticks: $600 on one NQ ($5.00 x 120) and $60 on one MNQ ($0.50 x 120).

Micro WTI Crude Oil (MCL) Example:

The same principles apply to energy. Take WTI crude oil as an example. If you buy one MCL contract at $53.60 and sell at $54.00, the price moves $0.40. With a tick size of $0.01, the move equals 40 ticks ($0.40 ÷ $0.01). Since each MCL tick is worth $1.00:

• 40 ticks x $1.00 per tick = $40 profit (the same trade on one CL contract is $400)

Micro Gold (MGC) Example:

Buy one MGC contract at $4,000.00 an ounce and sell at $4,012.50. The $12.50 move is 125 ticks of $0.10.

• 125 ticks x $1.00 per tick = $125 profit

Micro EUR/USD (M6E) Example:

Buy one M6E contract at 1.1000 and sell at 1.1050. The 0.0050 move is 50 ticks of 0.0001.

• 50 ticks x $1.25 per tick = $62.50 profit

Micro Bitcoin (MBT) Example:

Buy one MBT contract and bitcoin rises $500. With a $5 tick, that is 100 ticks.

• 100 ticks x $0.50 per tick = $50 profit

These calculations not only help you measure potential gains but also serve as a foundation for managing risk effectively.

Using Tick Values for Risk Management

Tick calculations aren’t just about profits - they’re essential for smart risk management. Traders use them to determine position sizes and set stop-loss levels based on their account size and risk tolerance.

Position Sizing Based on Risk:

Let’s say your maximum risk per trade is $500. You can calculate how many contracts to trade by dividing your risk tolerance by the tick value. For ES contracts, where each tick is worth $12.50:

• $500 ÷ $12.50 = 40 ticks of risk

For contracts like NQ, YM, or RTY with $5.00 tick values, you could handle 100 ticks of movement ($500 ÷ $5.00 = 100 ticks). On MES, the same $500 covers 400 ticks ($500 ÷ $1.25), or 100 points.

Setting Risk-Reward Ratios:

Traders often work with specific risk-reward ratios. For example, a 2:1 ratio might involve aiming for 4 ticks of profit ($50) while risking 2 ticks ($25) on an ES trade. Swing traders, on the other hand, might target larger profits - say, 20 ticks ($250) - while setting a stop-loss at 10 ticks ($125).

Factoring in Market Volatility:

Market volatility plays a big role in setting realistic profit targets and stop-loss levels. Tools like the 14-day average true range (ATR) can help. For example, an ES ATR of 15 points is about $750 of average range on one ES contract (15 points x $50 per point) and $75 on one MES; a stop at half the ATR, 7.5 points, risks $375 on ES or $37.50 on MES.

Practical Steps for Risk Management:

Before placing a trade, calculate your risk by multiplying the stop-loss in ticks by the tick value. This helps you adjust your position size. For setups requiring a wider stop-loss, you might trade fewer contracts. Conversely, tighter stops allow for larger positions.

Consistent tick-based risk management matters on every micro and full-size contract. The same steps apply across the board, so you stay in control of every trade.

When to Trade Micro vs Full Size

Trade micros when the full-size contract puts more dollars at risk per tick than your account or plan allows; move to full size once your position would need ten or more micros. Ten MES contracts carry the same dollar exposure as one ES contract.

• Margin: CME sets a separate margin for each micro, much smaller than the full-size margin. Check the Margins tab on the contract's CME Group page and your broker's own requirement.
• Scaling: micros let you add or take off one tenth of a position at a time, for example taking profit on 3 of 10 MES contracts.
• Prop firm limits: prop firms cap how many contracts you can hold, and their rules say how micros count toward that cap. Check the limit on your firm's rules page before you size up.

Conclusion

Understanding tick values is the backbone of successful micro and E-mini trading. The ability to calculate ticks accurately can directly impact your gains, losses, and overall risk management.

For example, a 30-point move in ES equals a $1,500 change on one contract, while the same move in MES is $150. The table above gives you the figures for every other CME micro.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on the basics. Keep a quick-reference table handy with key contract details like tick sizes, tick values, and contract multipliers. This simple step can prevent errors and help ensure your position sizing is on point.
• Keep your platform running. Micro and E-mini orders match in Chicago, and a QuantVPS server there sits 0.52ms from CME with 99.999% uptime.

FAQs

How do tick values affect profit calculations and risk management in E-mini trading?

Tick values are a key factor in calculating profits and managing risks when trading E-mini contracts. Each tick corresponds to a specific dollar amount, meaning even slight price changes can significantly affect your gains or losses, depending on the tick value of the contract you're working with.

For instance, when trading a contract with a higher tick value, every price movement carries more financial impact. This can amplify both your potential profits and losses, making it crucial to incorporate tick values into your position sizing and overall trading plan. By knowing the tick size and value of the E-mini contract you're trading, you can make smarter decisions, manage risks more effectively, and set realistic expectations for market fluctuations.

What are the trading hours and tick values for E-mini and micro futures contracts?

Major E-mini futures contracts, such as the S&P 500 (ES) and Nasdaq-100 (NQ), are traded on the CME Globex platform. These contracts are available from Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET to Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET, with a daily maintenance break occurring between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET.

Among stock index E-minis, only ES is $12.50 a tick: NQ, YM and RTY are $5.00 a tick. Their micros are one tenth of that: $1.25 on MES and $0.50 on MNQ, MYM and M2K. Trading hours are the same across the stock index contracts, but multipliers differ, and they change how profits, losses and risk are calculated.

Grasping these details is crucial for understanding the E-mini markets effectively and planning your trades with confidence.

Why is a Virtual Private Server (VPS) important for micro and E-mini futures trading?

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) affects E-mini futures trading by providing uninterrupted access to your trading platform, even if you face power outages or internet issues. In futures trading, where split-second decisions can make all the difference, this level of reliability is essential.

A VPS in Chicago also gives you the lowest latency to CME, where micro and E-mini orders match. Your platform stays online around the clock, so you can focus on your trades without worrying about technical hiccups.

What is the tick value of MYM and M2K?

The Micro E-mini Dow (MYM) moves in 1-point ticks worth $0.50, so one tick is one point. The Micro E-mini Russell 2000 (M2K) moves in 0.10-point ticks worth $0.50, so one point is $5.

What is the MCL tick value?

Micro WTI Crude Oil (MCL) is 100 barrels with a $0.01 tick, so one tick is worth $1.00 and a $1 move in crude is worth $100 on one contract.

How many micro contracts equal one E-mini?

Ten. MES, MNQ, MYM and M2K are each one tenth of their E-mini, so ten micros carry the same dollar value per tick as one full-size contract.