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Futures Position Size Calculator €

How many futures contracts to BUY or SELL from entry, stop, max cash loss and contract specs (ES, NQ, CL, GC, ZN and more, or custom). No live prices.

Last checked:

Calculator

Static specs. Confirm on the exchange before trading.
Used for order type and notional.
Stop below entry = BUY (long). Stop above entry = SELL (short).
Cash you are willing to lose if stopped out. Same currency as tick value.

n/a

Loss at stopn/a
Ticks / points to stopn/a
Stop distance (% of entry)n/a
Risk per contractn/a
Notional per contractn/a
Total notional at currentn/a
Current to entryn/a

Direction comes from the stop vs entry. Use the same currency for max loss and tick value. Spec sources listed in DATA_SOURCES.md.

How many futures contracts should I trade?

Contracts = floor(max cash loss ÷ (stop points × $ per point)), using the contract’s point value. Direction comes from stop vs entry.

How is buy vs sell decided?

Stop below entry means BUY (long). Stop above entry means SELL (short). Equal entry and stop is invalid.

Are the contract specs live from the exchange?

No. Presets are static reference values. Confirm on the CME, ICE or Eurex page before trading.

The formula

Direction: stop below entry = BUY (long); stop above entry = SELL (short)
Ticks to stop = |entry - stop| / tick size
Risk per contract = ticks to stop x tick value
Contracts = floor(max loss / risk per contract)
Notional at current = contracts x multiplier x current price
Order type: long entry below current = Buy limit, above = Buy stop, equal = Market (mirror for shorts)

Worked example

ES E-mini S&P: tick 0.25, $12.50 per tick, multiplier 50.

Current 5010, entry 5000, stop 4980, max loss $10,000.

20 points = 80 ticks. Risk/contract = 80 x 12.50 = $1,000. BUY 10 contracts (Buy limit).

Methodology

How it calculates

  • Direction from stop vs entry (stop below = BUY / long; stop above = SELL / short).
  • Contracts = floor(max loss ÷ risk per contract), with risk per contract from ticks to stop × tick value.
  • Preset specs are static reference values; confirm on the exchange before trading.

Formula

Direction: stop below entry = BUY (long); stop above entry = SELL (short)
Ticks to stop = |entry - stop| / tick size
Risk per contract = ticks to stop x tick value
Contracts = floor(max loss / risk per contract)
Notional at current = contracts x multiplier x current price
Order type: long entry below current = Buy limit, above = Buy stop, equal = Market (mirror for shorts)

Assumptions

  • No live prices or margin requirements from the broker.
  • Max loss and tick value must be in the same currency; we do not FX-convert futures risk.
  • Contract presets can change; confirm on CME, ICE or Eurex.

Edge cases

  • Contracts are rounded down (floor). Size is 0 if max loss is below risk on one contract.
  • Stop equal to entry is invalid.
  • Blank price fields are ignored (not treated as zero).

Sources

Last checked:

FAQ

Are specs live from the exchange?

No. Presets are static reference values cited in DATA_SOURCES.md. Confirm on the exchange page before trading.

How is direction decided?

From the stop relative to entry. Stop below entry means a long (BUY). Stop above entry means a short (SELL). Equal prices are invalid.

Currency?

Enter max loss and tick value in the same currency unit. We do not FX-convert futures risk.

Sources

Rates, rules or specs last checked 1 Nov 2026. Confirm on the official page before you act.

Popular variants

Same maths, aimed at a specific search. Pre-filled where it helps.

Not financial advice. This calculator is for education only. Double-check results before you make money decisions. Past moves do not predict future ones.