How big is a one-futures contract?
One futures contract represents 5,000 bushels. Contract sizes reflect some historical ties with how grains and other agricultural goods were once transported, but nowadays, one standard railcar holds about 110 tons of soybeans, or about 3,600 bushels. A barge car holds about 52,000 bushels.
Contract size
A futures contract has a standardized size that does not change, but it can be different for each product. For example, one contract of crude oil (/CL) represents 1,000 barrels. And one contract of gold futures (/GC) represents 100 troy ounces.
S&P Futures trade with a multiplier, sized to correspond to $250 per point per contract. If the S&P Futures are trading at 2,000, a single futures contract would have a market value of $500,000. For every 1 point the S&P 500 Index fluctuates, the S&P Futures contract will increase or decrease $250.
How much is 1 NQ futures contract worth? The standard value of a 1-point move in a standard contract is $20, with micro contracts worth $2 for a similar move.
Key Takeaways. The last exchange to list SSFs in the U.S. closed in 2020. Like other futures contracts, SSFs can be used to hedge or speculate. Each contract represents the right to buy or sell 100 shares of the underlying stock.
Each futures contract specifies is the quantity of the product delivered for a single contract, also known as contract size. For example: 5,000 bushels of corn, 1,000 barrels of crude oil or Treasury bonds with a face value of $100,000 are all contract sizes as defined in the futures contract specification.
Micro E-mini futures contract specifications. S&P 500 futures: 0.25, worth $1.25 per contract. NASDAQ-100 futures: 0.25, worth $0.50 per contract. Dow Jones futures: 1.00, worth $0.50 per contract.
Table 1: CBOT U.S. Treasury futures contract details. Each U.S. Treasury futures contract has a face value at maturity of $100,000 with the exceptions of 2-year and 3-year U.S. Treasury futures contracts, which have face value at maturity of $200,000.
Pretty simple math. For /ES, the contract size is $50 times the index value. So, for example, if the SPX is at 5,100, the contract value is $255,000. The minimum tick is one-quarter of an index point, or $12.50 per contract.
How much is 1 E-mini contract worth?
Standard E-mini S&P 500 Index Futures | |
---|---|
Symbol | ES |
Exchange | CME GLOBEX |
Contract point value | $50 USD |
Minimum price fluctuation | .25, (50 * .25 = $12.50 per contract per-minimum move) |
There are four ticks per point, giving binary options a per point value of $1.00. With a range of 0 to 100, binary options have a total value of $100 per contract.

The term "lot size" defines the number of units of an asset that you agree to buy or sell in a futures contract. Think of it this way: when you go to the market to buy rice, you won't just buy one grain of rice; you will buy a sack of rice. That becomes the "lot," while the quantity of grains in it is the "lot size."
A futures contract is a legally binding agreement to buy or sell a standardized asset on a specific date or during a specific month. Typically, futures contracts are traded electronically on exchanges such as the CME Group, the largest futures exchange in the United States.
How much money do you need to start trading futures? You can start with as little as $100 USD if you start trading the micro futures.
One of the key benefits of futures trading vs. stocks is leverage. When buying or shorting stocks, most only offer 25% day trading or 50% overnight margin. With futures, you can put up less than 5% to control a position that represents a major market index or commodity that allows for potentially greater profits.
Barchart Symbol | NQ |
---|---|
Trading Hours | 5:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. (Sun-Fri) (Settles 3:00p.m.) CST |
Value of One Futures Unit | $20 |
Value of One Options Unit | $20 |
Last Trading Day | Third Friday of the contract month |
Futures margin generally represents a smaller percentage of the notional value of the contract, typically 3-12% per futures contract as opposed to up to 50% of the face value of securities purchased on margin.
Barchart Symbol | ES |
---|---|
Margin/Maintenance | $16,789/15,263 |
Daily Limit | 7.0%, 13.0% and 20.0% decline below the Settlement Price of the preceding session |
Contract Size | $50 times Index |
Months | Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec (H, M, U, Z) |
One futures contract represents a face value at maturity of $100,000. S&P 500 Index. One E-mini futures contract traded on CME Group represents $50 times the S&P 500 Index (so if the S&P 500 is at 4,000, one E-mini contract would be worth $200,000, or 4,000 x $50).
What can I trade on NinjaTrader with 50 dollars?
Trade Micro E-mini Index Futures For Increased Flexibility and Reduced Costs. At 1/10th the size of the standard contract, Micro E-mini futures contracts allow traders like you to more easily access the highly liquid equity index futures markets with reduced costs and margins as low as $50.
The term E-mini refers to an electronically-traded futures contract that is a fraction of the size of a standard contract. E-minis are used to trade a variety of assets, such as commodities and currencies, but the most commonly traded assets using E-minis are indexes.
This paper shows that there are three elements that determine whether a futures contract succeeds or not: 1. There must be a commercial need for hedging; 2. A pool of speculators must be attracted to a market; and 3. Public policy should not be too adverse to futures trading.
If your account value falls below $25,000, then any pattern day trading activities may constitute a violation. If you trade futures in a linked futures account, keep in mind that futures cash or positions do not count toward the $25,000 minimum account value.
The term cheapest to deliver (CTD) refers to the cheapest security delivered in a futures contract to a long position to satisfy the contract specifications. It is relevant only for contracts that allow a variety of slightly different securities to be delivered.