Tick
A tick is the smallest allowable price increment a futures contract can move. Every futures instrument has a fixed tick size defined by the exchange: knowing it is the foundation of position sizing and P&L calculation.
A tick is the minimum price movement a futures contract can make in either direction. It is set by the exchange and never changes unless the exchange explicitly amends the contract spec.
Tick size vs tick value
These two are different things that are often confused:
- Tick size: the price increment (e.g. 0.25 index points for ES)
- Tick value: the dollar amount that one tick is worth (e.g. $12.50 for ES)
The dollar value of a tick is derived from the contract’s point value and tick size:
Tick Value = Point Value × Tick Size
Common futures tick sizes
| Instrument | Tick Size | Tick Value |
|---|---|---|
| ES (E-Mini S&P 500) | 0.25 points | $12.50 |
| MES (Micro E-Mini S&P 500) | 0.25 points | $1.25 |
| NQ (E-Mini Nasdaq 100) | 0.25 points | $5.00 |
| MNQ (Micro E-Mini Nasdaq 100) | 0.25 points | $0.50 |
| CL (Crude Oil) | 0.01 points | $10.00 |
| GC (Gold) | 0.10 points | $10.00 |
Why ticks matter for traders
Every P&L calculation in futures starts with ticks. If you bought ES at 5,200.00 and it moved to 5,201.00, that is 4 ticks: worth $50.00 on one contract.
Knowing your tick value lets you calculate:
- Exact dollar risk per trade (stop distance in ticks × tick value × contracts)
- P&L without waiting for your platform to calculate it
- Proper position sizing relative to your account size
Ticks and slippage
Slippage is always measured in ticks. If you expected a fill at 5,200.00 and got filled at 5,200.25, you slipped one tick. On a high-tick-value instrument like CL ($10/tick), even one tick of slippage per side is meaningful at scale.