ES Tick Value
ES moves in ticks of 0.25. Each tick is worth $12.50 per contract, so one full point is $50.
Commissions, exchange fees and slippage come off on top. This is the move times the tick value, nothing else.
What ES moves are worth
ES is the E-mini S&P 500 future, traded on CME. One contract is fifty dollars times the S&P 500 index, so every point the index moves is worth $50 on one contract. The table runs the same sum for a few common sizes, before commissions.
| Move | Ticks | 1 contract | 2 contracts | 5 contracts | 10 contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 point | 4 | $50.00 | $100.00 | $250.00 | $500.00 |
| 2 points | 8 | $100.00 | $200.00 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| 5 points | 20 | $250.00 | $500.00 | $1,250.00 | $2,500.00 |
| 10 points | 40 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 | $2,500.00 | $5,000.00 |
| 20 points | 80 | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| 50 points | 200 | $2,500.00 | $5,000.00 | $12,500.00 | $25,000.00 |
The sum is always the same. Ticks moved, times $12.50, times the number of contracts. The calculator above does it for any move.
ES and MES
ES is ten times MES, the Micro E-mini S&P 500 future. Both move in ticks of 0.25, but one point on MES is worth $5 where it is worth $50 on ES.
So one ES contract carries the same dollar move as ten MES contracts. If one ES is more risk than your stop allows, MES is the same market at a tenth of the size.
Setting an ES stop in NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader uses exactly these numbers. In the Control Center open Tools, then Instruments, search for ES and open it with a double-click or the Edit button. Its tick size reads 0.25 and its point value reads 50. We checked every value on this page against that list.
In the ATM strategy dialog a stop set in Ticks is a distance. A 16-tick stop on ES is 4 points away and risks $200.00 on one contract, or $400.00 on two. The distance stays the same whatever size you trade, so a template saved in Ticks places the stop at the same distance on any quantity. The dollars it risks still grow with the size.
A stop set in Currency works differently. NinjaTrader treats the dollar figure as the total for the whole order, not per contract. A $400 Currency stop on ES lands 32 ticks away on one contract, but only 16 ticks away on two. We measured this with real fills on templates with one stop and one target. Templates with several targets may divide differently, and we have not verified them. The position size calculator gives you both values for any size.
Common questions
How much is one point on ES?
$50 per contract. It is 4 ticks of $12.50 each.
How much is a 5-point move on ES?
$250.00 on one contract and $2,500.00 on ten. That is 20 ticks of $12.50.
Is the ES tick value the same at every broker?
Yes. The tick size and the tick value are set by the exchange, CME. Commissions and margin differ from broker to broker, the tick value does not.
Does the price level change the tick value?
No. One tick on ES is worth $12.50 at any price.
More tick values
- MNQ tick value, Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 future
- MES tick value, Micro E-mini S&P 500 future
- NQ tick value, E-mini Nasdaq-100 future
- GC tick value, Gold future
- MGC tick value, Micro Gold future
- All futures tick values, every contract in one table
This page does arithmetic on exchange contract specifications. It is not trading advice. Futures trading carries substantial risk of loss. See our risk disclosure.