Index Position Size Calculator: Points, Contracts and CFDs
Indices are sized in points, and the same point is worth $50 on one contract and $0.50 on another. Put the stop in points and the calculator shows what each instrument allows.
Index risk is stop in points multiplied by value per point multiplied by contracts. A point is $50 on the E-mini S&P and $5 on the Micro, $20 on the E-mini Nasdaq and $2 on its Micro, and CFD point values are set by your broker. Size from the stop, and use a micro when one contract is too big.
Index position size
Index CFDs are sized in points, not pips: your position value per point times the stop in points is the money at risk. Futures contracts have fixed point values set by the exchange; CFD point values are set by your broker and vary.
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See what the desk does →Points, not pips
Index instruments are quoted in index points. Money at risk is stop in points × value per point × number of contracts. The value per point is fixed by the exchange for a futures contract and set by your broker for a CFD, which is why the same "one contract" can mean wildly different risk.
The mini and micro trap
Every major index future has a micro version at one tenth the size. Sizing a micro plan with mini numbers is a tenfold error, and it is the most common way an index account is blown in a week. The table lists both for each index so the comparison is unavoidable.
Index tape moves fast and punishes guessed sizing. Chart Bound gives you the reps free, on real historical charts.
Play free, no signup →Choosing the stop first
Index ranges are wide: a 60-point stop on the Nasdaq is routine and is $1,200 on one E-mini contract. Set the stop from the chart - see stop loss placement or the ATR calculator - then let this tool tell you what the account can carry. If the answer is "less than one contract", the honest read is that the instrument is too big for the account, and a micro or a smaller CFD size is the fix.
What it does not include
- Overnight financing on CFD positions held past the daily rollover.
- Dividend adjustments on cash index CFDs.
- Gaps. Indices gap on earnings and macro news; a stop is not a guaranteed exit price.
- Contract rollover, which changes the instrument and can distort a continuous chart.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate index position size?
Divide the money you are willing to risk by (stop in points x value per point). The calculator does it for futures and CFD point values side by side.
What is one point worth on the S&P 500?
On the E-mini (ES) a point is $50 and on the Micro (MES) it is $5. CFD point values are set by your broker.
Why does my broker's point value differ?
CFD contract sizes are set by the broker, not an exchange, so the same index can have different point values at different brokers.
What if the calculator says less than one contract?
The position your stop allows is smaller than the smallest instrument available. Use a micro contract or a smaller CFD size rather than widening the risk.
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Index tape moves fast and punishes guessed sizing. Chart Bound gives you the reps free, on real historical charts.
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