Futures position size calculator

Contracts = floor(account risk ÷ (stop distance in ticks × tick value)). The floor operation means round down to a whole contract. If the answer is below one, the entered dollar risk cannot accommodate that contract and stop distance.

Example: $500 of risk with an 8-tick ES stop gives $500 ÷ (8 × $12.50) = 5 contracts. A 16-tick MNQ stop with $200 risk gives $200 ÷ (16 × $0.50) = 25 contracts. These are arithmetic examples, not suggested position sizes.

The calculator excludes commissions, exchange fees, platform fees, slippage, gaps, and currency conversion. A stop order does not guarantee its trigger price. To keep a total cap that includes costs, the entered trading-risk amount must leave room for them.

ES, MES, NQ, and MNQ move in 0.25-index-point ticks, so one full index point is four ticks. An 8-tick stop is 2.00 index points. CL and MCL use $0.01-per-barrel ticks. GC and MGC use $0.10-per-troy-ounce ticks.

Enter the distance in minimum ticks, not the chart’s raw price difference. If ES entry is 6000.00 and the stop is 5998.00, the distance is 2.00 points ÷ 0.25 = 8 ticks. Entering “2” would understate risk by four times.

Contract specifications can change and other products may have variable tick rules. Verify the active contract with CME Group and the broker before using any calculation.

Planned position risk is not the same as a prop-firm daily loss limit or trailing drawdown. An account may have less remaining rule distance than the dollar amount entered here. Use the smallest active constraint and account for existing positions and working orders.

Aeris displays position P&L in currency and ticks and provides simulated prop-rule profiles, distance meters, pre-trade checks, locks, flatten, and kill switch. Those controls operate on simulated orders today. Live Rithmic routing is Coming soon.