Futures Position Size Calculator
Enter your account size, how much you are willing to lose on the trade and where your stop is. The calculator tells you how many contracts you can trade on MNQ, MES, NQ, ES, CL, GC, 6E and other CME futures without going over your risk.
How the calculator works
Position size is the number of contracts that keeps your loss at the stop inside the amount you decided to risk. The calculation has three steps:
- Risk budget = account size × risk % (or the fixed dollar amount you typed).
- Risk per contract = stop distance in ticks × tick value + commission and fees for one contract.
- Contracts = risk budget ÷ risk per contract, always rounded down. Rounding up would put you over your limit.
If you enter the stop in points, the calculator converts it to ticks by dividing by the tick size (for MNQ, 20 points ÷ 0.25 = 80 ticks). If you enter an entry and a stop price, it uses the distance between them.
Worked example: MNQ with a $50,000 account
You risk 1% of a $50,000 account, so your budget is $500. Your stop is 20 points away, which is 80 ticks on MNQ. One MNQ tick is worth $0.50, so one contract loses 80 × $0.50 = $40 at the stop. $500 ÷ $40 = 12.5, which rounds down to 12 MNQ contracts, for an actual risk of $480 (0.96%).
The same trade on NQ ($5.00 per tick) costs $400 per contract, so the budget allows only 1 NQ contract. That is why many traders with smaller accounts use micros: they let you size the position to the stop instead of moving the stop to fit one big contract.
Tick size and tick value of popular CME futures
The values below come from the CME Group contract specifications (outright minimum price fluctuation), checked on 22 October 2026. Exchanges can change them, so confirm on the linked page before you trade.
| Symbol | Contract | Tick size | Tick value | Value of a 1.0 price move | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 pt | $0.50 | $2 | CME specs |
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 pt | $5.00 | $20 | CME specs |
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 pt | $1.25 | $5 | CME specs |
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 pt | $12.50 | $50 | CME specs |
| MYM | Micro E-mini Dow | 1 pt | $0.50 | $0.5 | CME specs |
| YM | E-mini Dow | 1 pt | $5.00 | $5 | CME specs |
| M2K | Micro E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.10 pt | $0.50 | $5 | CME specs |
| RTY | E-mini Russell 2000 | 0.10 pt | $5.00 | $50 | CME specs |
| MCL | Micro WTI Crude Oil | $0.01 / bbl | $1.00 | $100 | CME specs |
| CL | WTI Crude Oil | $0.01 / bbl | $10.00 | $1,000 | CME specs |
| MGC | Micro Gold | $0.10 / oz | $1.00 | $10 | CME specs |
| GC | Gold | $0.10 / oz | $10.00 | $100 | CME specs |
| SI | Silver | $0.005 / oz | $25.00 | $5,000 | CME specs |
| 6E | Euro FX | 0.00005 | $6.25 | $125,000 | CME specs |
| M6E | Micro EUR/USD | 0.0001 | $1.25 | $12,500 | CME specs |
| ZN | 10-Year T-Note | 1/64 pt | $15.625 | $1,000 | CME specs |
Frequently asked questions
How many futures contracts should I trade?
Divide the dollar amount you are willing to lose on the trade by the loss of one contract at your stop (stop in ticks times tick value, plus fees). Round down. With a $500 risk and a 20-point MNQ stop ($40 per contract), that is 12 contracts.
What percentage of my account should I risk per trade?
Many traders keep risk per trade between 0.5% and 2% of the account. On a prop firm account, size against the drawdown you have left, not the nominal account size: a $50,000 account with a $2,000 drawdown gives you far less room than the headline number suggests.
What is the difference between tick size and tick value?
Tick size is the smallest price step a contract can move, for example 0.25 index points on NQ. Tick value is how many dollars one contract gains or loses on that step, $5.00 on NQ and $0.50 on MNQ.
Is one NQ the same as ten MNQ?
Yes, in dollar terms. MNQ is one tenth of NQ ($0.50 per tick versus $5.00), so ten MNQ move the same dollars as one NQ. Fees are charged per contract, so ten micros usually cost more in commissions than one E-mini.
Why does the calculator round down?
Rounding up would put your loss at the stop above the limit you set. If the result is zero, one contract is already too big for that stop and that account, so a micro contract or no trade is the safer answer.
Check whether you actually stick to your size
Sizing is easy on paper. The MyTradeEdge journal imports your futures trades and shows the risk you really took on each one, next to the risk you planned. The free plan needs no credit card.
Try the free journalAlso free: prop firm drawdown calculator.
This calculator is an educational tool, not trading advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss.