TL;DRThe minimum price increment a futures contract can move. Every product has a different tick size and dollar value per tick. Understanding ticks is how you calculate risk, profit, and position size.
A tick is the smallest possible price movement for a futures contract. It's set by the exchange and varies by product. ES moves in increments of 0.25 index points. CL moves in increments of $0.01 per barrel. Gold (GC) moves in increments of $0.10 per ounce.
Every tick has a dollar value attached to it. One tick on ES is worth $12.50 (0.25 points x $50 per point). One tick on CL is worth $10.00 ($0.01 x 1,000 barrels). This dollar value is what determines how much money you make or lose per price movement.
Traders often use ticks and points interchangeably, but they're different.
A point is one full unit of price movement. On ES, one point is a move from 5,200 to 5,201. Since ES moves in 0.25-point increments, one point equals 4 ticks.
When someone says ES moved 10 points, they mean the price changed by 10.00 (40 ticks, worth $500 per contract). When someone says I got filled one tick from my limit, they mean 0.25 points ($12.50 on ES).
On CL, one point is a move from $70.00 to $71.00, which equals 100 ticks ($1,000 per contract). Always clarify whether someone is talking about ticks or points, especially when discussing risk.
Every risk calculation in futures starts with the tick value. When you say I'm risking 10 points on ES, you need to know that 10 points equals $500 per contract to size your position correctly.
Different products have very different per-tick risk profiles. One tick on ES costs $12.50, one tick on NQ costs $5.00, one tick on CL costs $10.00, and one tick on GC costs $10.00.
This is also why you can't directly compare strategies across products. Saying I made 20 ticks is meaningless without specifying the product. 20 ticks on ES is $250. 20 ticks on CL is $200. 20 ticks on NQ is $100.
Some traders use tick charts instead of time-based charts. A 500-tick chart creates a new bar every 500 trades (transactions), regardless of how long that takes. During high-activity periods, tick bars form quickly. During slow periods, they form slowly.
Tick charts normalize activity by volume rather than time, which can reveal patterns hidden by time-based charts. They're popular among scalpers and order flow traders.
The NYSE TICK index (not to be confused with futures tick size) measures the number of stocks ticking up minus stocks ticking down. Futures traders watch this as a breadth indicator.
| product | initial | maintenance | day trade* |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-mini S&P 500 (ES) | 0.25 pts | $12.50/tick | $50.00/point |
| E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) | 0.25 pts | $5.00/tick | $20.00/point |
| Crude Oil (CL) | $0.01 | $10.00/tick | $1,000/point |
| Gold (GC) | $0.10 | $10.00/tick | $100/point |
| Micro E-mini S&P (MES) | 0.25 pts | $1.25/tick | $5.00/point |
| Corn (ZC) | 0.25c/bu | $12.50/tick | $50.00/point |
*Day trade margins vary by broker and change with volatility.
Calculating dollar risk from tick distance
You want to risk 8 points (32 ticks) on an ES trade. You're trading 2 contracts.
8 points x $50 per point = $400 per contract. With 2 contracts, your total risk is $800. Alternatively: 32 ticks x $12.50 per tick = $400 per contract x 2 = $800.
Cross-product comparison
You made 5 points on ES and 50 ticks on CL. Which trade made more money?
ES: 5 points x $50 = $250 per contract. CL: 50 ticks x $10 = $500 per contract. The CL trade made twice as much per contract. Always convert to dollars for comparison.
Confusing ticks and points when calculating risk
On ES, a 10-tick stop is 2.5 points ($125), while a 10-point stop is 40 ticks ($500). That's a 4x difference. Always confirm which unit is being used.
Assuming all futures products have the same tick value
ES is $12.50 per tick, NQ is $5.00 per tick, CL is $10.00 per tick. Know the tick value of whatever you're trading before you place an order.
Ignoring tick size when comparing strategies across products
A strategy that makes 50 ticks per day on NQ ($250) is very different from one that makes 50 ticks per day on CL ($500). Always compare in dollar terms.