Futures Tick Value Calculator — ES, NQ, CL, GC & More
Every futures contract has its own tick size and dollar value — confusing ES ($12.50/tick) with NQ ($5.00/tick) or CL ($10.00/tick) leads to dangerous sizing errors. Select your contract, enter ticks or points moved, and number of contracts to instantly see total P&L in dollars. Covers ES, NQ, MES, MNQ, YM, CL, GC, SI, NG, ZB, and 6E with the exact tick value for each.
Updated · Reviewed by Foysal Mostafa
Tick size: 0.25 points each
ES — E-mini S&P 500
Total P&L
+$125.00
Points Moved
2.5000
Per Tick Value
$12.5
Per Point Value
$50
Tick Size
0.25 pts
Tick Value
$12.5
Point Value
$50
Why Use the Futures Tick Value Calculator?
Each futures contract has a unique tick size and dollar value. Confusing ES tick values ($12.50) with NQ ($5.00) or CL ($10.00) leads to position sizing errors that can turn a planned $200 risk into a $500+ loss. This calculator gives you the exact dollar P&L for any tick movement before you place a single trade.
Formula Used
P&L = Ticks × Tick Value × Contracts | Points P&L = Points × Point Value × ContractsWorked Example
Trading 3 NQ contracts (E-mini Nasdaq). NQ tick = 0.25 points = $5. Your target is 45 points (180 ticks) of profit. P&L = 180 ticks × $5 × 3 contracts = $2,700. If you accidentally calculated using ES tick values ($12.50) instead: $2,700 would look like $6,750 — a $4,050 error that would misrepresent your entire position sizing plan.
How to Use the Futures Tick Value Calculator — Step by Step
- 1
Select your futures contract
Choose from the dropdown: ES (S&P 500 E-mini), NQ (Nasdaq E-mini), CL (Crude Oil), GC (Gold), RTY (Russell 2000), ZB (Treasury Bonds), 6E (Euro FX), and more.
- 2
Enter ticks or points moved
Input how many ticks or points the contract moved. The calculator shows both tick value and point value.
- 3
Enter number of contracts
Input how many contracts you are trading. P&L scales linearly — 2 contracts = 2× the per-contract P&L.
- 4
Read your P&L
The calculator shows your total profit or loss, the tick value and point value for the selected contract, and the contract's current specifications.
What Your Futures Tick Value Calculator Results Mean
Tick Value
The dollar value of one minimum price movement for your selected contract. ES = $12.50/tick, NQ = $5.00/tick, MES = $1.25/tick, MNQ = $0.50/tick, CL = $10.00/tick, GC = $10.00/tick.
Point Value
The dollar value of one full index point for your contract. ES = $50/point (4 ticks), NQ = $20/point, CL = $1,000 per $1/barrel. Use point value for larger price moves when counting whole points is more intuitive.
Total P&L
Your profit or loss in dollars for the entered tick or point movement across all contracts. This is your take-home dollar gain or loss if the trade exits at the entered price level.
Futures Tick Value Calculator — Frequently Asked Questions
Q.What is a tick in futures trading?
A tick is the minimum price movement of a futures contract. Each contract has a defined tick size and a dollar value per tick. For the ES (S&P 500 E-mini), 1 tick = 0.25 index points = $12.50. For Crude Oil (CL), 1 tick = $0.01/barrel = $10. Knowing your tick value is essential for position sizing and risk management.
Q.What is the tick value of the ES (S&P 500 E-mini)?
The ES has a tick size of 0.25 points and a tick value of $12.50. One full point = 4 ticks = $50. If you are long 1 ES contract and it moves up 10 points, your profit = 10 × $50 = $500. For the Micro E-mini MES, tick value = $1.25 (1/10th of ES).
Q.How do I calculate futures P&L?
P&L = (Exit Price − Entry Price) ÷ Tick Size × Tick Value × Number of Contracts. For ES: bought at 5,000, sold at 5,010 = 10 points = 40 ticks. P&L = 40 × $12.50 × 1 contract = $500 profit. Always account for commissions ($4–$8 round trip per contract).
Q.What is the difference between ES and MES?
The MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) is 1/10th the size of the ES. ES tick value = $12.50, MES tick value = $1.25. MES requires less margin and is ideal for newer futures traders, allowing proper position sizing without over-leveraging a small account. The same tick value ratio applies to NQ vs MNQ, RTY vs M2K, etc.
Q.How much is one tick worth in ES (S&P 500 E-mini) futures?
ES futures: 1 tick = 0.25 points = $12.50 per contract. A 1-point move = 4 ticks = $50 per contract. So if you buy 2 ES contracts and price moves 10 points in your favour, profit = 10 × $50 × 2 = $1,000. For MES (Micro E-mini S&P), 1 tick = $1.25 (1/10th of ES). For NQ (Nasdaq 100): 1 tick = 0.25 points = $5 per contract.
About the Author
Forex Trader & Software Developer · Founder, TradeCalc
Active forex trader since 2019, specializing in risk management and systematic position sizing. Built TradeCalc to replace manual spreadsheets used in live trading. Every calculator is cross-verified against broker platforms before publishing.
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