Futures Tick Value Calculator
Calculate the cash value of a tick and a point for any futures contract, and the profit on a given move.
A futures contract moves in ticks, and the cash value of a tick is fixed by the contract specification rather than by the price. This futures tick value calculator reads that specification back as money: the ES tick value is $12.50 whether the E-mini S&P 500 trades at 3,000 or 6,000, because the contract is defined as $50 per index point and the tick is a quarter point.
Formula: tick value = point value x tick size; profit = points x point value x contracts
Your figures
Sets the point value and tick size. Choose 'Custom' to enter them yourself.
In points. Negative for a move against the position.
Contract currency to your account currency. 1 when they match. Use the rate that applied on the day for a past trade.
Only used when Contract is set to Custom.
Only used when Contract is set to Custom.
Results
Profit
+US$500.00
+10.00 points on 1 contract
- Tick value, one contract
- US$12.50
- Tick value, whole position
- US$12.50
- Point value, whole position
- US$50.00
- Ticks moved
- +40.00
- Contract size
- $50 × index
- Exchange
- CME
What this means
One tick on ES — E-mini S&P 500 is worth US$12.50 per contract, so a 40-tick move across 1 contract is US$500.00. Tick value is fixed by the contract specification — it does not change as the price moves.
- Excludes commission and exchange fees, which are charged per contract per side and matter disproportionately on short-term futures trades.
- Specifications are a reference and are occasionally revised. Verify against your broker or the exchange before trading.
Profit: +US$500.00
The link reopens this calculator with the same numbers. Nothing you enter is sent to a server.
Continue with these figures
About the Futures Tick Value calculation
That fixed relationship is what makes futures arithmetic exact. There is no pip size to derive from the quote and no conversion unless the contract settles in a currency other than your account's — the specification gives you everything.
It also means using the wrong specification produces a confidently wrong number. The calculator carries the published futures point value and tick size for the commonly traded contracts, and accepts custom values for anything not listed.
Futures Tick Value formula
tick value = point value × tick size
ticks moved = points moved ÷ tick size
profit = points moved × point value × contracts
E-mini S&P 500 (ES):
$50 × 0.25 = $12.50 per tick
4 ticks = 1 point = $50- point value
- Cash value of a 1.00 move in the quoted price, per contract.
- tick size
- The smallest increment the contract trades in.
- contract size
- What the contract represents — 1,000 barrels, 100 troy ounces, $50 × the index.
Multiplying the point value by the tick size tells you how much a tick is worth, directly and without reference to the current price. Everything else follows from those two numbers, which is why the specification matters more than the price.
Treasury contracts are the usual source of confusion. They are quoted in points and 32nds rather than decimals, so the 30-year bond's tick is 1/32 of a point — 0.03125 — and at $1,000 per point that makes a tick worth $31.25. The 10-year note goes further and trades in half-32nds.
Agricultural contracts are quoted in cents per bushel, so a 'point' is one cent. Corn at 5,000 bushels moves $50 per cent, and its quarter-cent tick is worth $12.50 — the same tick value as the E-mini S&P, reached by an entirely different route.
Futures Tick Value: a worked example
A 10-point move on two E-mini S&P 500 contracts, where the point value is $50 and the tick is 0.25.
- Tick value, one contract50 × 0.25 = $12.50
- Tick value, two contracts$25.00
- Point value, two contracts50 × 2 = $100
- Ticks in a 10-point move10 ÷ 0.25 = 40 ticks
- Profit10 × 50 × 2 = $1,000
$1,000 on a 10-point move. The same move on two Micro E-mini contracts, at $5 per point, would be $100 — a tenth of the size for the identical price movement.
How to use the Futures Tick Value calculator
- Choose the contract. The futures point value and tick size fill in from the published specification, so the ES tick value, the NQ tick value and the rest arrive without you looking anything up.
- For a contract not listed, select Custom and enter the point value and tick size from your broker.
- Enter the number of contracts and the price move in points. A negative move gives the loss.
- Read the tick value alongside the profit — knowing what one tick is worth is what makes stop placement concrete.
Limitations of the Futures Tick Value calculator
Every calculation makes assumptions. These are the ones that matter here.
- Excludes commission and exchange fees, which are charged per contract per side and matter disproportionately on short-term futures trades.
- Specifications are occasionally revised by the exchange. Verify against your broker before trading a contract you do not know well.
- Converts at one rate, entered by you. A contract settling in another currency is converted at the rate in the conversion field, which is a snapshot rather than the rate the position will actually be settled at.
- Does not model the price differences between contract months, which matter when rolling a position forward.
Frequently asked questions about Futures Tick Value
How much is a tick worth, and how does it differ from a point?
A tick is worth the point value multiplied by the tick size — $12.50 on the E-mini S&P, $5.00 on the E-mini Nasdaq. A point is a 1.00 move in the quoted price; a tick is the smallest increment the contract actually trades in. On the E-mini S&P there are four ticks to a point. On the E-mini Dow the tick is a full point, so the two are the same thing.
Why is the treasury tick value such an odd number?
Because treasuries are quoted in points and 32nds rather than decimals. The 30-year bond's tick is 1/32 of a point, and at $1,000 per point that is $31.25. The 10-year note trades in half-32nds, giving $15.625.
How do micro contracts compare on tick value?
They are the same contract at a fraction of the size — usually a tenth. The Micro E-mini S&P is $5 per point against $50, so the tick is $1.25 rather than $12.50, and the Micro Nasdaq tick is $0.50 against the $5.00 NQ tick value. The price, tick size and behaviour are identical; only the multiplier differs.
Does tick value change as the price moves?
No. It is fixed by the contract specification. That is the main practical difference from instruments where the value of a move depends on the price level.
Last reviewed . See our methodology and editorial policy.
More futures calculators