Futures Tick Value Calculator: Ticks, Points and Contracts
Every futures contract moves in its own increments and each one is worth a fixed amount. Get those two numbers right and risk is simple arithmetic; get them wrong and the position is nothing like the size you think.
Money moved equals ticks multiplied by tick value multiplied by contracts, where ticks are the price distance divided by the contract's tick size. The E-mini S&P moves in 0.25 increments worth $12.50 each, and its micro is a tenth of that. Confusing a mini with a micro is a tenfold sizing error and the most common futures mistake.
Futures tick value calculator
Money = (move ÷ tick size) × tick value × contracts. Specifications change — confirm tick size and value on the exchange's own contract page before trading.
Tick size and tick value
Tick size is the smallest price increment a contract trades in. Tick value is what one tick is worth per contract. Money moved = ticks × tick value × contracts, and the number of ticks in a move is the price distance divided by the tick size.
The calculator has the common contracts pre-filled and a custom option for anything else. Specifications do change, so confirm them on the exchange's own contract page before trading.
Contract maths is quick to learn. Reading the move you are sizing for is the slow part - Chart Bound drills it free.
Play free, no signup →Sizing from a stop
Turn the stop distance into ticks, multiply by tick value, and that is the risk per contract. Divide your risk budget by it for the contract count - the same shape as the lot size and stock calculations. With futures the answer is often "less than one contract", which is a real answer: it means the trade is too big for the account unless a micro contract exists.
Where people get caught
- Minis and micros confused. A micro is typically a tenth of the mini; sizing one as the other is a 10x error, and it is the most common futures mistake there is.
- Points versus ticks. Several contracts have four ticks to a point, so "ten points" and "ten ticks" differ by a factor of four.
- Margin is not risk. Day-trade margin says what you can open, not what you can afford to lose.
- Overnight gaps. Futures trade nearly around the clock but still gap on news; a stop is not a guaranteed exit price.
- Prop firm rules on top. If you trade an evaluation account, the drawdown type and daily loss limit cap your size before this maths does.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tick in futures?
The smallest price increment the contract trades in. Tick value is what that increment is worth per contract.
How do I calculate futures profit or loss?
Ticks moved x tick value x number of contracts. The calculator converts a price distance into ticks for you.
What is the difference between a tick and a point?
A point is a full unit of price; a tick is the minimum increment. Many index contracts have four ticks per point.
Are these contract specifications guaranteed current?
No. Exchanges change specifications, so the values here are a starting point and the exchange's own contract page is the authority.
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Keep learning
Contract maths is quick to learn. Reading the move you are sizing for is the slow part - Chart Bound drills it free.
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