GC Tick Value
GC moves in ticks of 0.1. Each tick is worth $10.00 per contract, so a one-dollar move in gold is $100.
Commissions, exchange fees and slippage come off on top. This is the move times the tick value, nothing else.
What GC moves are worth
GC is the Gold future, traded on COMEX, part of CME Group. One contract is 100 troy ounces of gold, so every one-dollar move in the gold price is worth $100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | 10 | $100.00 | $200.00 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $2.00 | 20 | $200.00 | $400.00 | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| $5.00 | 50 | $500.00 | $1,000.00 | $2,500.00 | $5,000.00 |
| $10.00 | 100 | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| $20.00 | 200 | $2,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $20,000.00 |
| $50.00 | 500 | $5,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $25,000.00 | $50,000.00 |
The sum is always the same. Ticks moved, times $10.00, times the number of contracts. The calculator above does it for any move.
GC and MGC
GC is ten times MGC, the Micro Gold future. Both move in ticks of 0.1, but a one-dollar move on MGC is worth $10 where it is worth $100 on GC.
So one GC contract carries the same dollar move as ten MGC contracts. If one GC is more risk than your stop allows, MGC is the same market at a tenth of the size.
Setting a GC stop in NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader uses exactly these numbers. In the Control Center open Tools, then Instruments, search for GC and open it with a double-click or the Edit button. Its tick size reads 0.1 and its point value reads 100. We checked every value on this page against that list.
In the ATM strategy dialog a stop set in Ticks is a distance. A 50-tick stop on GC is a $5 move away and risks $500.00 on one contract, or $1,000.00 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 $1,000 Currency stop on GC lands 100 ticks away on one contract, but only 50 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 a one-dollar move on GC?
$100 per contract. It is 10 ticks of $10.00 each.
How much is a $10 move on GC?
$1,000.00 on one contract and $10,000.00 on ten. That is 100 ticks of $10.00.
Is the GC tick value the same at every broker?
Yes. The tick size and the tick value are set by the exchange, COMEX, part of CME Group. 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 GC is worth $10.00 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
- ES tick value, E-mini S&P 500 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.