A futures symbol is a root code for the product, a one-letter month code and the year: ESZ6 is the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) for December (Z) 2026 (6). The tables below list the CME Globex root codes, the 12 month codes and the micro futures symbols for the main CME Group contracts, with contract size and tick value from each contract's CME specs page (checked on 31 Oct 2026).
Quick reference:
- Month codes: F Jan, G Feb, H Mar, J Apr, K May, M Jun, N Jul, Q Aug, U Sep, V Oct, X Nov, Z Dec.
- Most traded roots: ES (S&P 500), NQ (Nasdaq-100), YM (Dow), RTY (Russell 2000), CL (crude oil), NG (natural gas), GC (gold), ZN (10-Year T-Note).
- Micros: add M or use a micro root: MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MCL, MNG, MGC, SIL, MHG, M6E, MBT, MET.
How to Read a Futures Symbol
Read a futures symbol left to right: product, month, year. The root code tells you the product, and the month and year letters tell you which expiry.
Root code, month code and year digit make up most futures symbols on CME Globex.
CME's quote pages on 31 Oct 2026 showed lead contracts such as ESZ6, CLZ6, GCZ6 and BTCX6 in that format. Some products show two year digits: CME's Henry Hub natural gas page showed NGZ26, and natural gas lists monthly contracts for the current year and the next 12 calendar years. Brokers and charting platforms also add their own prefixes or suffixes, so check how your platform writes a symbol before you trade.
Futures Month Codes
Every CME futures month has a single letter code. CME Group publishes this list on its Contract Month Codes page.
| Month | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | F | July | N |
| February | G | August | Q |
| March | H | September | U |
| April | J | October | V |
| May | K | November | X |
| June | M | December | Z |
Equity index futures such as ES and NQ list only March, June, September and December (H, M, U, Z), so you will mostly see those four letters on index charts.
Stock Index Futures Symbols
The four US stock index E-minis are ES, NQ, YM and RTY, and each has a micro version one tenth the size. All are listed on CME except the Dow contracts, which are CBOT products.
| Symbol | Contract | Exchange | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | CME | $50 x S&P 500 Index | 0.25 pt = $12.50 |
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | CME | $5 x S&P 500 Index | 0.25 pt = $1.25 |
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq-100 | CME | $20 x Nasdaq-100 Index | 0.25 pt = $5.00 |
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | CME | $2 x Nasdaq-100 Index | 0.25 pt = $0.50 |
| YM | E-mini Dow | CBOT | $5 x DJIA | 1 pt = $5.00 |
| MYM | Micro E-mini Dow | CBOT | $0.50 x DJIA | 1 pt = $0.50 |
| RTY | E-mini Russell 2000 | CME | $50 x Russell 2000 Index | 0.10 pt = $5.00 |
| M2K | Micro E-mini Russell 2000 | CME | $5 x Russell 2000 Index | 0.10 pt = $0.50 |
| EMD | E-mini S&P MidCap 400 | CME | $100 x S&P MidCap 400 Index | 0.10 pt = $10.00 |
| NKD | Nikkei 225 (USD) | CME | $5 x Nikkei Stock Average | 5 pts = $25.00 |
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Energy Futures Symbols
Crude oil is CL, with QM (E-mini) and MCL (Micro WTI) as smaller sizes; natural gas is NG, with QG and MNG. All energy contracts below are NYMEX products and list monthly contracts.
| Symbol | Contract | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|
| CL | Crude Oil (WTI) | 1,000 barrels | $0.01 = $10.00 |
| QM | E-mini Crude Oil | 500 barrels | $0.025 = $12.50 |
| MCL | Micro WTI Crude Oil | 100 barrels | $0.01 = $1.00 |
| NG | Henry Hub Natural Gas | 10,000 MMBtu | $0.001 = $10.00 |
| QG | E-mini Natural Gas | 2,500 MMBtu | $0.005 = $12.50 |
| MNG | Micro Henry Hub Natural Gas | 1,000 MMBtu | $0.001 = $1.00 |
| RB | RBOB Gasoline | 42,000 gallons | $0.0001 = $4.20 |
| HO | NY Harbor ULSD (heating oil) | 42,000 gallons | $0.0001 = $4.20 |
Metals Futures Symbols
Gold is GC and silver is SI, both COMEX contracts, with micro versions MGC and SIL. Platinum (PL) is a NYMEX product.
| Symbol | Contract | Exchange | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | Gold | COMEX | 100 troy oz | $0.10 = $10.00 |
| MGC | Micro Gold | COMEX | 10 troy oz | $0.10 = $1.00 |
| 1OZ | 1-Ounce Gold | COMEX | 1 troy oz | $0.25 = $0.25 |
| SI | Silver | COMEX | 5,000 troy oz | $0.005 = $25.00 |
| SIL | Micro Silver (1,000 oz) | COMEX | 1,000 troy oz | $0.005 = $5.00 |
| HG | Copper | COMEX | 25,000 lb | $0.0005 = $12.50 |
| MHG | Micro Copper | COMEX | 2,500 lb | $0.0005 = $1.25 |
| PL | Platinum | NYMEX | 50 troy oz | $0.10 = $5.00 |
Interest Rate Futures Symbols
US Treasury futures are CBOT contracts: ZT, ZF, ZN and ZB, plus TN and UB for the Ultra contracts. Their prices move in fractions of 1/32 of a point.
| Symbol | Contract | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZT | 2-Year T-Note | $200,000 face value | 1/8 of 1/32 = $7.8125 |
| ZF | 5-Year T-Note | $100,000 face value | 1/4 of 1/32 = $7.8125 |
| ZN | 10-Year T-Note | $100,000 face value | 1/2 of 1/32 = $15.625 |
| TN | Ultra 10-Year T-Note | $100,000 face value | 1/2 of 1/32 = $15.625 |
| ZB | U.S. Treasury Bond | $100,000 face value | 1/32 = $31.25 |
| UB | Ultra U.S. Treasury Bond | $100,000 face value | 1/32 = $31.25 |
| 10Y | 10-Year Yield | 1,000 index points | 0.001 = $1.00 |
FX Futures Symbols
CME currency futures use a 6 plus a letter on CME Globex: 6E is the euro, 6J the yen, 6B the pound. The micro euro is M6E.
| Symbol | Contract | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6E | Euro FX | 125,000 euros | 0.00005 = $6.25 |
| M6E | Micro EUR/USD | 12,500 euros | 0.0001 = $1.25 |
| 6J | Japanese Yen | 12,500,000 yen | 0.0000005 = $6.25 |
| 6B | British Pound | 62,500 pounds | 0.0001 = $6.25 |
| 6A | Australian Dollar | 100,000 AUD | 0.00005 = $5.00 |
| 6C | Canadian Dollar | 100,000 CAD | 0.00005 = $5.00 |
| 6S | Swiss Franc | 125,000 CHF | 0.00005 = $6.25 |
Crypto and Agriculture Futures Symbols
CME lists bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) futures with micro versions MBT and MET. Grains and oilseeds are CBOT contracts with Z roots, and livestock contracts are on CME.
| Symbol | Contract | Exchange | Contract size | Tick value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | Bitcoin | CME | 5 bitcoin | $5 = $25.00 |
| MBT | Micro Bitcoin | CME | 0.10 bitcoin | $5 = $0.50 |
| ETH | Ether | CME | 50 ether | $0.50 = $25.00 |
| MET | Micro Ether | CME | 0.1 ether | $0.50 = $0.05 |
| ZC | Corn | CBOT | 5,000 bushels | 1/4 cent = $12.50 |
| ZW | Chicago SRW Wheat | CBOT | 5,000 bushels | 1/4 cent = $12.50 |
| ZS | Soybeans | CBOT | 5,000 bushels | 1/4 cent = $12.50 |
| ZM | Soybean Meal | CBOT | 100 short tons | $0.10 = $10.00 |
| ZL | Soybean Oil | CBOT | 60,000 lb | 0.0001 = $6.00 |
| LE | Live Cattle | CME | 40,000 lb | 0.00025 = $10.00 |
| HE | Lean Hogs | CME | 40,000 lb | 0.00025 = $10.00 |
| GF | Feeder Cattle | CME | 50,000 lb | 0.00025 = $12.50 |
Micro Futures Symbols
Micro futures symbols mostly start with M, but not all of them are one tenth of the full contract. The table pairs each micro with its full-size contract so you can see the ratio.
| Micro | Full size | Micro tick value | Size vs full |
|---|---|---|---|
| MES | ES | $1.25 | 1/10 |
| MNQ | NQ | $0.50 | 1/10 |
| MYM | YM | $0.50 | 1/10 |
| M2K | RTY | $0.50 | 1/10 |
| MCL | CL | $1.00 | 1/10 |
| MNG | NG | $1.00 | 1/10 |
| MGC | GC | $1.00 | 1/10 |
| SIL | SI | $5.00 | 1/5 |
| MHG | HG | $1.25 | 1/10 |
| M6E | 6E | $1.25 | 1/10 |
| MBT | BTC | $0.50 | 1/50 |
| MET | ETH | $0.05 | 1/500 |
Silver's micro is SIL, not MSI, and the bitcoin and ether micros are much smaller than a tenth. Choosing between a micro and its full-size contract is mainly a question of position size and fees per dollar of exposure.
Globex Codes vs Clearing Codes
The symbol you type in a trading platform is normally the CME Globex code, which can differ from the clearing code on your statements. CME's specs pages list both.
| Contract | CME Globex code | Clearing code |
|---|---|---|
| Corn | ZC | C |
| Soybeans | ZS | S |
| 10-Year T-Note | ZN | 21 |
| Euro FX | 6E | EC |
| Japanese Yen | 6J | J1 |
| E-mini S&P 500 | ES | ES |
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Contract Months and the Front Month
Each product lists its own set of months, so the next contract to trade depends on the product. These cycles are from the "Listed Contracts" line of each CME specs page.
- ES, NQ, YM, RTY and their micros: quarterly, March, June, September and December.
- Treasuries (ZT, ZF, ZN, ZB): quarterly, 3 consecutive quarters listed.
- CL and NG: every month.
- GC: 26 consecutive months plus any June and December in the nearest 72 months.
- Corn (ZC): March, May, July, September and December.
As a contract nears expiry, volume moves to the next month and traders roll their positions. Our guide to futures rollover explains when and how to switch contracts.
What to Check in Futures Contract Specifications
Before trading a symbol for the first time, open its CME contract specifications page and check five lines. They tell you what the symbol is worth and when it stops trading.
- Contract unit: what one contract controls, such as $50 x S&P 500 or 1,000 barrels.
- Minimum price fluctuation: the tick size and its dollar value.
- Trading hours: for ES, Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET with a daily 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET maintenance period.
- Settlement method: ES is financially settled; NG, for example, is deliverable.
- Termination of trading: ES stops at 9:30 a.m. ET on the third Friday of the contract month.
For tick size, tick value and point value of every contract in one place, see our futures tick value chart.
Trading Futures Symbols on a VPS
Futures trade nearly 23 hours a day, so charts, alerts and automated strategies on these symbols often run while you are away. A trading VPS keeps your platform connected around the clock, and QuantVPS servers in Chicago list 0.52ms to CME.
FAQs
What does ESZ6 mean?
ES is the E-mini S&P 500, Z is the December month code and 6 is 2026. ESZ6 is the E-mini S&P 500 contract that expires in December 2026.
What are the futures month codes?
F January, G February, H March, J April, K May, M June, N July, Q August, U September, V October, X November and Z December, as published by CME Group.
What are the micro futures symbols?
MES (S&P 500), MNQ (Nasdaq-100), MYM (Dow), M2K (Russell 2000), MCL (crude oil), MNG (natural gas), MGC (gold), SIL (silver), MHG (copper), M6E (euro), MBT (bitcoin) and MET (ether).
What is the symbol for gold futures?
GC on CME Globex for the 100 troy ounce COMEX contract. Micro Gold is MGC (10 troy ounces) and 1-Ounce Gold is 1OZ.
Where can I find official futures contract specifications?
On each product's "Contract Specs" page at cmegroup.com, which lists the contract unit, tick, hours, product codes, listed months, settlement and last trading day.
