
The CME Group offers a variety of futures contracts, including the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) and the E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ). These contracts are highly liquid and widely traded.
The ES contract trades 24/5, with a minimum tick value of $12.50 and a contract size of 50 times the underlying index. This makes it a popular choice for traders looking to hedge or speculate on the S&P 500.
The NQ contract also trades 24/5, with a minimum tick value of $5 and a contract size of 20 times the underlying index. It's a popular choice for traders looking to hedge or speculate on the Nasdaq-100.
The CME Group's futures contracts are listed on several exchanges, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX).
Take a look at this: Cfds Que Es
Futures Data
The CME Group is the largest futures exchange in the world, listing over 300 different futures contracts.
Futures contracts can be traded on multiple exchanges, including the CME Group, ICE, and NYMEX.
List
Futures data is a powerful tool for traders and investors. It provides a snapshot of market expectations and can help inform investment decisions.
The most common types of futures data are price and open interest. Price data shows the current market price of a futures contract, while open interest shows the number of outstanding contracts.
Market participants can use futures data to gauge market sentiment and identify trends. For example, a high open interest in a particular contract can indicate strong market interest.
Futures data can be used to identify potential trading opportunities. By analyzing price and open interest data, traders can identify areas of support and resistance.
Futures data is often used in technical analysis to identify trends and patterns. By charting price and open interest data, traders can identify potential buy and sell signals.
The CME Group is one of the largest providers of futures data. It offers a wide range of futures contracts across various asset classes, including commodities and currencies.
Futures data is widely available through various sources, including exchanges and data providers. Traders and investors can access this data through online platforms and trading software.
Discover more: Spot Price vs Strike Price
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers is a great platform for futures trading. Native continuous contracts are provided, and their symbols start with @, like @ES.
Individual contract names can be quite specific, consisting of a symbol root, month code, and one-digit year code, for example, ESM6. This format ensures correct symbol parameters.
To add symbols from Interactive Brokers, use QuoteManager and select Instrument, then Add Symbol, and From Data Source. This method is recommended for accuracy.
You can search for Interactive Brokers futures by root, such as ES, or full symbol name, like ESM6. The Futures Symbols table or IB Trader Workstation can help you find symbol roots.
To see expired contracts in search results, check the Include Expired Contracts box.
Curious to learn more? Check out: Webull Es Confiable
IQFeed
To use IQFeed, you need to understand how its symbols work.
IQFeed provides native continuous contracts, which start with @ and contain # at the end, like @ES#.
Back adjusted instruments have C at the end: @ES#C.

Individual contract names consist of a symbol root, month code, and two-digit year code.
Some symbol names start with @, like @ESM26.
The Month Codes section is a good reference point for this.
To ensure correct symbol parameters, it's recommended to add symbols from the data source.
You can do this by going to QuoteManager, then Instrument, and finally Add Symbol, then From Data Source.
Alternatively, you can load the entire IQFeed symbol list by entering * into the search field and clicking Lookup.
You can also search IQFeed symbols individually by root, a part of or full symbol name, and description.
For example, you can search by root (e.g. ES), or a part of or full symbol name (e.g. ESM).
You can even search by description (e.g. E-MINI).
Symbol roots can be found in the Futures Symbols table or in the IQFeed app.
Meats
Meats futures contracts are traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The CME is the primary exchange for meat futures trading.
The most common meats futures contracts include Feeder Cattle, Live Cattle, Lean Hogs, and Milk class III. These contracts are traded under the symbols FC, LC, HE, and DA, respectively.
The delivery months for these contracts vary. For example, Feeder Cattle futures contracts are delivered in months F, H, J, K, Q, U, V, and X, while Live Cattle futures contracts are delivered in months G, J, M, Q, U, V, and Z.
The minimum price movement, or "min tick", for these contracts is $0.025. This means that prices can fluctuate by $0.025 per contract.
Here's a summary of the meats futures contracts:
The initial margin requirement for these contracts varies. For example, the initial margin for Feeder Cattle futures contracts is $4,263, while the initial margin for Live Cattle futures contracts is $2,255.
Take a look at this: Tradestation Margin Requirements for Futures
Futures Expiration
The CME recently launched the 3 Month Eurodollar Forward Rate Agreement (FRA) futures, which use a daily expiration. This is a new concept in futures markets.
The symbology for daily expiring futures is a bit different from what we're used to. It's in the format of [Symbol Root][Day code][Month code][Year code]. The day codes range from _1 to 31, with _1 representing the first day of the month and 31 representing the thirty-first day of the month.
The day code is represented by a combination of letters and numbers, with numbers used for days 10 and above. For example, the tenth day of the month is represented by 10, while the eleventh day is represented by 11.
Months
Months play a crucial role in futures expiration. Each month has a unique symbol associated with it.
The symbols for months are as follows: January – F, February – G, March – H, April – J, May – K, June – M, July – N, August – Q, September – U, October – V, November – X, and December – Z.
These symbols are used in conjunction with contract symbols and expiration years to create a unique identifier for each futures contract.
Soft and Fibers

Soft and Fibers futures contracts are traded on various exchanges, including the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).
The CBOT is home to the Rice futures contract, denoted by the symbol RR. This contract has a minimum tick size of 0.500 and an initial margin requirement of $975.
The ICE, on the other hand, lists contracts for Cocoa (CC), Cotton (CT), Coffee (KC), Lumber (LB), Orange Juice (JO), and Sugar #11 (SB). These contracts have varying minimum tick sizes and initial margin requirements.
Here's a breakdown of the minimum tick sizes for these contracts:
Daily Expiring
The CME recently launched daily expiring futures, starting with the 3 Month Eurodollar Forward Rate Agreement (FRA) futures.
These futures use a daily expiration, which is a departure from the standard expiration schedule for most futures markets.
The symbology for daily expiring futures is unique, using a new format that indicates the day of the month on which the contract expires.
The format is: [Symbol Root][Day code][Month code][Year code].
The day codes range from _1 to 31, with codes 1-9 represented by a single digit (e.g. _1 for the first day of the month) and codes 10-31 represented by two digits (e.g. 10 for the tenth day of the month).
The 3F symbol root is used for the FRA futures, which are the only daily expiring futures in TradeStation at this time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the symbol for the S&P 500 futures?
The S&P 500 futures contract is represented by the ticker symbol SP. This symbol is used to track the contract's price movements in the market.
What is the ticker symbol for Dow Futures?
The ticker symbol for Dow Futures is YM. This contract is a popular choice for traders due to its high liquidity and market relevance.
Sources
- https://www.multicharts.com/trading-software/index.php/Symbol_Guide
- https://bettertrader.co/online-trading-academy/futures-symbols-and-months.html
- https://www.purefinancialacademy.com/futures-markets
- https://help.tradestation.com/09_01/tradestationhelp/symbology/futures_symbology.htm
- https://www.traderbytes.com/support/futuressymbols.php
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