Pick a contract (ES, NQ, CL, GC and more) or enter custom specs, then a move in ticks or points to see the dollar value per tick, per point, and your total P/L across contracts.
Nothing here is financial advice. Contract specifications are standard CME values and can change — always verify with your broker before trading.
What is tick value?
A tick is the smallest price increment a futures contract can move. Tick value is what that one tick is worth in dollars: tick size × the contract multiplier (point value). For the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) the tick size is 0.25 index points and each full point is worth $50, so one tick = 0.25 × $50 = $12.50. Multiply by the number of ticks moved and the number of contracts to get your dollar P/L.
How to read the table
The table below lists the most-traded CME contracts. Tick size is the minimum move; tick value is the dollars that move is worth; point value is the dollars per full index point (tick value ÷ tick size). Pick any of these in the calculator to auto-fill the specs, or choose Custom to enter your own tick size and tick value for a contract that isn't listed.
| Contract | Tick size | Tick value | Point value |
|---|---|---|---|
| ES — E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $12.50 | $50 |
| MES — Micro E-mini S&P | 0.25 | $1.25 | $5 |
| NQ — E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $5.00 | $20 |
| MNQ — Micro Nasdaq | 0.25 | $0.50 | $2 |
| YM — E-mini Dow | 1.0 | $5.00 | $5 |
| RTY — E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.10 | $5.00 | $50 |
| CL — Crude Oil | 0.01 | $10.00 | $1,000 |
| GC — Gold | 0.10 | $10.00 | $100 |
| SI — Silver | 0.005 | $25.00 | $5,000 |
| 6E — Euro FX | 0.00005 | $6.25 | $125,000 |
| ZB — 30Y T-Bond | 0.03125 | $31.25 | $1,000 |
FAQ
What is a tick in futures?
A tick is the smallest amount a futures contract's price can move up or down — its minimum price increment. For ES it's 0.25 index points; for crude oil (CL) it's $0.01 per barrel. Prices only move in whole ticks.
What's the difference between a tick and a point?
A point is one full unit of the underlying price (one index point, one dollar per barrel). A tick is a fraction of a point defined by the contract's tick size. ES moves in 0.25-point ticks, so there are four ticks in every point. Point value = tick value ÷ tick size.
How is tick value calculated?
Tick value = tick size × contract multiplier (point value). For NQ, tick size 0.25 × $20 per point = $5.00 per tick. Your P/L is then ticks moved × tick value × number of contracts.
What is the tick value of ES and NQ?
The E-mini S&P 500 (ES) is $12.50 per tick ($50 per point). The E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) is $5.00 per tick ($20 per point). The micros MES and MNQ are one-tenth of those, at $1.25 and $0.50 per tick.
Are these tick values fixed?
Tick sizes and values are set by the exchange (CME) and are stable, but contract specs can be revised and vary by product. The figures here are standard CME values — always verify against your broker's contract specifications before trading.
Disclaimer: The specs shown are standard CME contract values. Contract specifications can change and may differ slightly across venues — verify with your broker before placing any trade.
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