Futures Tick Value & Contract Risk Calculator
Pick a CME futures contract, set your stop in ticks and your dollar risk budget, and get the risk per contract and the maximum number of contracts you can trade. Includes E-mini and Micro contracts: ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, YM, RTY, GC, CL and more.
Results
How it works
Frequently asked questions
What is a tick in futures trading?
A tick is the smallest price increment a futures contract can move, and each tick has a fixed dollar value. On the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) one tick is 0.25 index points and is worth $12.50 per contract; on the Micro (MES) the same move is worth $1.25.
How many contracts can I trade in a futures prop challenge?
Divide your dollar risk budget per trade by the risk per contract (stop ticks × tick value) and round down. Keep the result inside the max-contracts rule of your specific program — each futures firm caps position size per account tier.
What is the difference between E-mini and Micro contracts?
Micros are one-tenth the size of E-minis: MES is worth $1.25 per tick against $12.50 for ES. Micros let you scale risk precisely on smaller drawdown budgets, which is why most futures prop traders size with Micros first.
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Free educational calculator. Not financial advice. Rules differ by firm — always verify exact values on your firm’s official site.