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Futures position size calculator
Pick a contract, type your stop and your dollar risk. You get the number of standard contracts and matching micros, with the best fit marked.
Pick your contract
Each contract has its own page with specs, a stop cheat sheet and examples.
| Contract | Tick size | Tick value | 1 point |
|---|---|---|---|
| ES E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $12.50 | $50.00 |
| MES Micro E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $1.25 | $5.00 |
| NQ E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $5.00 | $20.00 |
| MNQ Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $0.50 | $2.00 |
| YM E-mini Dow | 1 | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| MYM Micro E-mini Dow | 1 | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| GC Gold | 0.1 | $10.00 | $100.00 |
| MGC Micro Gold | 0.1 | $1.00 | $10.00 |
| CL Crude Oil | 0.01 | $10.00 | $1,000.00 |
| MCL Micro Crude Oil | 0.01 | $1.00 | $100.00 |
| RTY E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.1 | $5.00 | $50.00 |
| M2K Micro E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.1 | $0.50 | $5.00 |
| HG Copper | 0.0005 | $12.50 | $25,000.00 |
| MHG Micro Copper | 0.0005 | $1.25 | $2,500.00 |
| 6E Euro FX | 0.00005 | $6.25 | – |
| M6E Micro Euro FX | 0.0001 | $1.25 | – |
| 6B British Pound | 0.0001 | $6.25 | – |
| M6B Micro British Pound | 0.0001 | $0.63 | – |
| BTC Bitcoin | 5 | $25.00 | $5.00 |
| MBT Micro Bitcoin | 5 | $0.50 | $0.10 |
| ETH Ether | 0.5 | $25.00 | $50.00 |
| MET Micro Ether | 0.5 | $0.05 | $0.10 |
The formula
Contracts = Risk $ ÷ (Stop in ticks × Tick value). Example: $250 risk with a 16-tick ES stop: 16 × $12.50 = $200 per ES, so 1 ES ($200) fits a $250 target, but a $225–$275 range needs 13 MES ($260) instead.
Read more: step-by-step futures sizing guide.
Questions
How do you calculate futures position size?
Risk per contract = stop in ticks × tick value. Contracts = dollars you are willing to lose ÷ risk per contract, rounded down to a whole contract (or to the size that fits your min–max range).
What is a tick in futures?
A tick is the smallest price move a futures contract can make. Each contract has its own tick size and tick value, for example 0.25 points and $12.50 for ES, or 0.01 and $10 for crude oil (CL).
When should I use micro futures?
When one standard contract risks more than your maximum for that stop. Micros are 1/10 the size for most index, metal and energy contracts, so you can size in smaller steps.
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