The tick value of NQ (Nasdaq 100 E-mini) is $5.00 per tick, while MNQ (Micro Nasdaq) is $0.50. ES (S&P 500 E-mini) is $12.50 per tick. Our futures calculator computes P&L, margin requirements, and tick values for all major CME contracts.
Optimized for prop firms - NQ, ES, YM, CL and more. Precise calculations with real ticks and margins.
15+
Futures Contracts
6
Categories
Micro
Contract Support
Prop Rules
Auto-Verified
Indicative cap for Apex: 20 — confirm with the firm
40 ticks | $1000.00
RR: 1:1.5
RR: 1:3.0
RR: 1:5.0
$1500
60 ticks
$1000
40 ticks
$1,000
1.0% used
2
contracts @ 1% risk
Evaluation (intraday trail) uses a trailing drawdown that recalculates intraday.
50k holds a $2500 cushion: peak 50875 gives a threshold of 48375. Floor climbs on open profit and stays there when it is given back. No daily loss limit. 30 days of access.
Verified 2026-08-23 · the firm’s own documentation
News, overnight and weekend rules vary by account type and change often — we do not publish them here rather than guess. Check them on your firm’s rule page before you size a position.
Low volume
Average volume
Optimal - Max volume
In the competitive world of futures trading, optimizing your setups to comply with strict prop firm rules is essential. Our professional futures calculator is designed specifically for traders working with popular contracts like ES (S&P 500), NQ (Nasdaq), YM (Dow Jones), CL (Oil) and many more. Whether you're targeting Apex Trader Funding, Topstep or FundedNext, this free tool calculates your risks, rewards, margins and position sizes in real time to maximize performance while minimizing rule violations.
Unlike basic calculators, our tool integrates prop firm specifics: rules on news trading, overnight holding and weekend holding. Customize your account size ($10k to $300k), adjust risk percentages (0.5% to 2%) and simulate real trades to reach your daily goals without exceeding trailing drawdowns.
Ready to boost your futures trading results? Our professional calculator helps you validate your ES and NQ setups, optimize your risk management and pass your prop firm challenges faster. Start now with our free tick and margin calculation tool.
Select your futures contract (NQ, ES, CL, etc.), enter the number of contracts, and input your entry and exit prices. The calculator instantly shows your profit/loss, margin requirements, and tick value.
Micro vs Mini contracts: Micro contracts (MNQ, MES) are 1/10th the size of their full-size counterparts. MNQ has a $0.50 tick value vs NQ's $5.00. Start with micros if you're new to futures — they let you learn the mechanics with less capital at risk.
For prop firm traders: Always check that the contract you want to trade is allowed by your firm. Most futures prop firms (Apex, Topstep, TPT, Lucid) allow all CME products, but some restrict certain markets during economic events.
Every futures contract has a fixed tick value — the dollar amount you gain or lose per tick of price movement. Here are the most popular contracts for prop trading:
| Contract | Tick Size | Tick Value | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| NQ (Nasdaq) | 0.25 | $5.00 | Experienced traders |
| MNQ (Micro Nasdaq) | 0.25 | $0.50 | Beginners, small accounts |
| ES (S&P 500) | 0.25 | $12.50 | Larger accounts |
| MES (Micro S&P) | 0.25 | $1.25 | Beginners, scaling |
| CL (Crude Oil) | 0.01 | $10.00 | Commodity traders |
| GC (Gold) | 0.10 | $10.00 | Safe-haven traders |
Pro tip: NQ is the most popular contract among prop firm traders because of its high volatility and reasonable tick value. A 10-point move on NQ = $200 per contract.
MNQ/MES for beginners: At $0.50 and $1.25 per tick respectively, micro contracts let you practice with minimal risk. You can trade 5-10 micros while learning, then switch to full-size contracts once you're consistent.
NQ for experienced traders: The Nasdaq E-mini offers the best balance of volatility and tick value for active day traders. Most successful prop traders focus exclusively on NQ.
CL for commodity specialists: Crude Oil moves independently from equities, making it ideal for diversification. However, CL has wider spreads and can gap significantly on news.
Which contracts do prop firms allow? Most futures prop firms allow all CME Group products. Some restrict trading during major economic events (FOMC, NFP). Check your firm's rules — see our complete futures prop firm guide for detailed breakdowns.
Margin is the capital required by your broker to hold a futures position. For NQ, intraday margin is typically $500-$1,000 per contract. This is NOT the same as your prop firm's drawdown limit.
Drawdown is the maximum loss your prop firm allows before terminating your account. A 50K Apex account has $2,500 trailing drawdown. Even though your margin allows 50 NQ contracts, your drawdown only supports 1-2 contracts safely.
The critical calculation: Never size your position based on margin alone. Use the Risk Calculator to determine position size based on your drawdown buffer, not your margin capacity. A common beginner mistake is thinking "I have enough margin" when they don't have enough drawdown room.
Everything you need to know to master our futures calculation tool
The dropdown menu at the top of the configuration panel lists supported prop firms like Apex Trader Funding. Each firm has specific rules: max contracts allowed, news trading yes/no, overnight holding, weekend holding. The tool automatically filters available contracts based on the chosen firm.
The tool supports ES (S&P 500), NQ (Nasdaq), YM (Dow Jones), RTY (Russell), CL (Oil), GC (Gold), SI (Silver), 6E (Euro), 6B (British Pound), 6J (Yen), ZB (T-Bonds), ZN (10Y Notes), ZC (Corn), ZS (Soybeans), ZW (Wheat). Organized by categories: Indices, Energy, Metals, Currencies, Rates, Agriculture.
Enable the toggle to switch to micro contracts (MES for ES, MNQ for NQ, etc.). Micros have tick value divided by 10 and reduced margin. Ex: ES tick = $12.50, MES tick = $1.25. Perfect for smaller accounts or risk reduction. The tool automatically adjusts all calculations.
Margin is automatically calculated via calculateMarginRequired(). Ex: ES = $500 per contract, NQ = $500. For micros, divided by 10. Multiplied by number of contracts. Usage percentage displayed: ideally under 30% of account for safety.
Tick value = profit/loss in $ for 1 tick movement. ES = $12.50/tick (0.25 points), NQ = $5/tick (0.25 points), CL = $10/tick ($0.01). Tool displays tick size and value below contract menu. Basis for all P&L calculations.
Enter prices in the numeric fields. Entry = planned entry price. Stop Loss = exit level for loss. Target 1/2/3 = progressive profit objectives. Tool automatically calculates ticks and $ amounts for each level. Adjustment by contract tick size steps.
P&L = number of ticks × tick value × number of contracts. Stop loss shows max loss in red. Targets 1/2/3 show potential gains in green. Ex: 10 ticks on 2 ES contracts = 10 × $12.50 × 2 = $250. Instant visualization of risk vs reward.
RR = ticks to target / ticks to stop. RR 1:2 means your potential gain is 2x your risk. Tool calculates RR for each target. Recommended minimum 1:1.5, ideal 1:2 to 1:3. Adjust your levels to improve RR. Real-time display under each target.
Enable 'Use ATR', enter current ATR value (ex: 12 for ES), choose multiplier (1.5 to 3 typical). Stop = Entry - (ATR × mult × scale). Target = Entry + (ATR × mult × 1.5). Auto-adjusted scale based on price. Adapts stops to current market volatility.
calculatePositionSize() determines max number of contracts based on: account size, risk % (1-2% typical), stop loss in ticks, contract specs. Ex: $100k account, 1% risk, 10 ticks stop on ES = 4 contracts max. Prevents over-leveraging. Display in 'Optimal Size'.
Risk % defines the percentage of account to risk per trade. Range 0.5% to 5%, default 1%. Used to calculate optimal position sizing. 1% on $100k = $1000 max risk. Conservative: 0.5-1%, Standard: 1-2%, Aggressive: 2-3%. Never exceed 5% per trade.
Prop firm limits. Daily Loss = max loss per day before restriction (typ. $1500-2000). Max DD = total max loss before challenge failure (typ. $2000-3000). Tool calculates how many losing trades before reaching these limits. Critical for risk management.
ComposedChart with Area + Line showing profit/loss vs price. X-axis = price levels from stop to targets. Y-axis = P&L in $. Green area = profit, red = loss. Points = entry, stop, targets. Hover for details. Visualizes trade risk/reward profile.
5 key metrics in spider chart: Risk/Reward ratio, Required Win Rate (%), Margin Used (%), Kelly Criterion (%), estimated Sharpe Ratio. Compares current values (blue) vs ideal targets (green). Helps identify setup weak points. Goal: maximize blue area.
BarChart compares tick values and margins of similar contracts. Helps choose the best instrument. ES liquidity 100%, NQ 90%, others less. Higher tick value = more profit/loss per tick. Balance between liquidity and gain potential.
Number of consecutive losing trades before reaching your daily limit. Calculated: daily limit / stop loss amount. Ex: $1500 limit / $500 stop = 3 trades. If < 3, risk too high. Ideal: 5+ trades margin. Key survival indicator.
Max DD / stop loss amount = number of losses before total failure. Ex: $3000 DD / $300 stop = 10 trades. Recommended minimum: 10 trades. Ideal: 15-20. If < 10, reduce position size or widen stop. Protection against loss streaks.
The tool shows how your firm measures its drawdown: static or trailing, recalculated intraday or at the session close, and the threshold where a trail stops climbing. Each rule links to that firm own documentation with the date we read it. It does not tell you whether news trading, overnight or weekend holding are allowed: we do not publish verified data on those, and a blank field should never be shown as a ban.
3 main sessions: Asian (7pm-4am ET), London (3am-12pm ET), NY (9:30am-4pm ET). Color coding based on selected contract. ES/NQ optimal in NY session. EUR/GBP in London. Volume and spread vary. Trade during optimal sessions for your contract.
FOMC (Wednesday 2pm ET) = extreme volatility. NFP (1st Friday 8:30am) = major impact on indices. CPI (monthly 8:30am) = rate movements. Earnings = per calendar. Red dots = avoid trading. Yellow = caution. Plan trades around these events.
Kelly % = (win probability × RR - loss probability) / RR × 100. With 55% win rate and RR 2: (0.55 × 2 - 0.45) / 2 = 32.5%. Tool caps at 25% max for safety. Indicates mathematically optimal % of capital to risk. Guide for position sizing.
Expectancy = (win rate × avg gain) - (loss rate × avg loss). Ex: 55% WR with RR 2, $100 stop: (0.55 × $200) - (0.45 × $100) = $65 per trade. Positive = profitable strategy long term. Key metric for system evaluation.
Tool pre-fills typical prices: ES 4500, NQ 15000, CL 75, GC 2000. Auto adjustment when you change contract. Respects tick size: ES by 0.25, CL by 0.01, etc. Prevents input errors. Basis for consistent calculations.
Margin Utilization = % of account tied up. Above 50% = dangerous, margin call risk. 20-30% = comfortable. 10% = very conservative. Tool calculates and displays in %. Apex and other firms have rules on max leverage. Stay under 30% ideally.
1% of account per day = realistic goal. $100k account = $1000/day. Tool displays in Quick Stats. Achievable with 2-3 winning trades on ES/NQ. Prevents overtrading. Compound monthly: 1%/day = 20-25%/month if consistent.
Number of trades to reach breakeven based on win rate and RR. With 40% WR and RR 2: need 2.5 trades on average. Calculation: 100 / (win rate × RR - loss rate). Helps understand variance and required patience.
Sharpe = (return - risk-free rate) / volatility. Tool estimates via RR and win rate. > 1 = good, > 2 = excellent, > 3 = exceptional. Measures risk-adjusted return. Prop firms favor high Sharpe = stable and scalable strategy.
Micros for: accounts < $50k, starting prop trading, strategy testing, risk reduction during news. Standard for: accounts > $100k, experienced traders, max profit potential. Tool adjusts all calculations. Start micro, move to standard with experience.
Enter your average historical stats: typical stop loss, usual targets. Vary number of contracts and see impact on P&L. Test different RR. Simulate drawdowns with Trades before Max DD. Optimize position size. Foundation for solid trading plan.
Indices (ES, NQ): high liquidity, tight spreads, correlated, traded mainly in US sessions. Commodities (CL, GC): more volatile, seasonal patterns, specific news, 24h trading. Tool adapts to specifics. Choose based on expertise and style.
3 targets allow scaling out: T1 quick (RR 1:1), T2 standard (RR 1:2), T3 runner (RR 1:3+). Exit 50% at T1, 30% at T2, let 20% run. Tool calculates P&L for each. Reduces risk, maximizes gains. Pro strategy for prop trading.
Each firm allows certain contracts. Apex: wide choice including micros. Topstep: mainly indices. Tool automatically filters via propFirm.allowedContracts. Avoids trading unauthorized instruments = violation = failure. Always check rules.
For prices < 100 (like CL at $75), ATR multiplied by 1. For prices > 100 (like ES at 4500), ATR multiplied by 0.01. Automatic adjustment for consistency. Ex: ATR 12 on ES = stop at 12 points (48 ticks). On CL = stop at $0.24 (24 ticks).
Tight stops = more stop outs = low win rate. Use ATR for adaptive stops. Minimum 10 ticks on ES, 20 on NQ. Look at 'Trades before Daily Limit': if < 5, widen. Balance between capital protection and giving trade room.
Challenge: focus on not losing, respect drawdown, reach target without risk. Funded account: maximize profits, cautious scaling, consistency. Tool helps both: strict risk management for challenge, profit max for funded. Adjust risk % based on phase.
Win Rate Required = minimum success rate for break-even based on your RR. RR 1:1 = 50% required. RR 1:2 = 33% required. RR 1:3 = 25% required. If your historical win rate is lower, improve RR or strategy. Guide for long-term viability.
Tool doesn't deduct commissions automatically. Typical: $5/round-trip on futures. On 10 ticks ES = $125 gross - $5 = $120 net. For accuracy, mentally reduce 1-2% of displayed profits. Or add 1 tick to stop to compensate.
Tool is optimized for futures but principles apply. For forex: consider 1 pip = 1 tick, adjust values based on lot size (standard = $10/pip, mini = $1/pip, micro = $0.10/pip). RR and risk management calculations identical.
Daily Goal in Quick Stats = reasonable objective. Once reached, stop. Tool shows expectancy: if < $50/trade on $100k account, too many trades for little. Focus quality > quantity. 2-3 good trades > 10 average. Prop firms prefer consistency.
ROI not directly displayed but calculable: (Annual Profit / Invested Capital) × 100. With $2000/month profit on $50k account = $24k/year / $500 eval fee = 4800% ROI. Tool provides all elements to calculate. Focus on consistent monthly profit.
Read your own firm rules: the tool does not publish a verified news-trading permission and will not guess one. What it does show is the FOMC, NFP and CPI calendar, because those releases move every contract on the page. Whatever your firm allows, spreads widen and slippage rises in the minutes around a release.
Limits to control risk and avoid manipulation. ES often 20 max, micros 200, forex lots variable. Tool displays max below slider. Absolutely respect: exceeding = violation = account closed. Start small, increase with proven success.
Expectancy = average edge per trade. Kelly % = optimal capital allocation. Daily Goal = daily target. Break-even trades = required patience. Quick scan before each session. If negative expectancy or Kelly < 5%, don't trade. Go/no-go guides.
No, calculations based on exact prices entered. Reality: 1-2 ticks slippage on stops, less on limits. Mentally add 1 tick to stop for realism. On news: 5+ ticks possible. Use limit orders when possible. Factor into risk management.
Responsive interface adapts to mobile screens. Configuration panel moves to top. Charts remain interactive (touch for hover). Ideal for quick pre-market calculations. Screenshot results for reference. Full features on all platforms.
No direct export currently. Solutions: full screenshot, copy-paste values to Excel, note configuration. Tip: keep journal with date, setup, tool results, real results. Compare to refine. Future update might add CSV/PDF export.
Visualizing potential losses mentally prepares. Seeing 'Trades before limits' reassures about error margin. High RR = less pressure on win rate. Positive expectancy = system confidence. Removes emotion, focuses on probabilities. Basis for mechanical trading.
Evaluation: strict rules, targets to achieve, tight drawdown limits, limited time. Live/Funded: more flexibility, no mandatory target, focus on consistency. Tool serves both but adjust aggressiveness. Conservative in eval, optimal in funded.
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