Skip to content
GetProfitable
Search
Dictionary

Micro futures

Futures contracts sized at one-tenth of the standard E-mini, letting small accounts trade with proportionally small risk.

Micros (MES, MNQ, MCL, MGC and others) have the same price and tick size as their parent but a tenth of the tick-value. They make proper position-sizing possible for accounts under $25,000 and are what most prop-firm evaluations start traders on.

Commissions per contract are lower but higher as a share of profit, and liquidity is slightly thinner than the full-size contract.

Example: a trader with $5,000 risking 1% ($50) can trade one MES with a 4-point stop (16 ticks x $1.25 = $20 risk) with room to spare. One full ES with the same stop risks $200, or 4%.

Related: es, nq, tick-value, position-sizing

See it drawn

Original diagrams for the ideas on this page. Illustrative, not real market data.

How a position size is worked outAccount size, risk per trade and stop distance feed into one box giving the number of shares.ACCOUNT SIZE$25,000your capitalRISK PER TRADE1%of the accountSTOP DISTANCE$0.50entry to stopPOSITION SIZE500 sharesrisk budget: $25,000 × 1% = $250position size: $250 ÷ $0.50 = 500 shares
Working out a position size. Three numbers decide how big a trade is: the account, the share of it put at risk, and the distance from entry to stop. One percent of $25,000 is a $250 budget, and a $0.50 stop divides into that 500 times.

Educational only, not advice. Spotted an error? Post in Site Feedback.