A Complete Guide to E-Micro Futures Contracts on the CME Exchange

A Complete Guide to E-Micro Futures Contracts on the CME Exchange

As retail participation in futures markets continues to grow, the CME Group has expanded its offering of E-micro futures contracts to provide smaller, more accessible, and more cost-effective ways for individual traders to engage with global markets. These contracts offer the same transparency, liquidity, and capital efficiency as standard futures, but at a fraction of the size.

This guide explores all available E-micro contracts listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), covering asset classes such as equity indices, agricultural commodities, metals, currencies, cryptocurrencies, and energy products.

1. E-Micro Equity Index Futures

E-micro equity index futures are among the most widely traded instruments by retail traders.

Micro E-mini Equity Index Futures

These contracts are 1/10th the size of the classic E-mini contracts, offering more flexible exposure to the leading U.S. stock indices.

Available Contracts:

• Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES)

• Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ)

• Micro E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average (MYM)

• Micro E-mini Russell 2000 (M2K)

Contract Specs:

• Contract Size: 1/10 of corresponding E-mini

• Tick Value:

  • MES: $1.25 per tick (0.25 index points)

  • MNQ: $0.50 per tick (0.25 index points)

  • MYM: $0.50 per tick (1 index point)

  • M2K: $0.50 per tick (0.10 index points)

• Trading Hours: Sunday–Friday 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT (with a daily 60-minute break at 4:00 p.m.)

• Exchange Margin Requirements:

  • MES: ~$1,320 initial margin (varies)

  • MNQ: ~$1,595

  • MYM: ~$880

  • M2K: ~$980

View contract specs on CME

2. E-Micro Agricultural Futures

Micro E-mini Corn (XC), Micro E-mini Soybeans (XS), Micro E-mini Wheat (XW)

Introduced to offer affordable access to U.S. grain markets.

Contract Specs:

• Contract Size: 1/10 of standard contracts

  • Corn: 1,000 bushels

  • Soybeans: 1,000 bushels

  • Wheat: 1,000 bushels

• Tick Size:

  • Corn/Wheat: 0.25 cents/bushel = $2.50 per tick

  • Soybeans: 0.25 cents/bushel = $2.50 per tick

• Trading Hours:

  • Sunday–Friday 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. CT

• Exchange Margin Requirements:

  • Corn: ~$360

  • Soybeans: ~$580

  • Wheat: ~$400

View agricultural futures specs

3. E-Micro Metals Futures

These contracts provide a gateway into precious metals trading with smaller capital commitments.

Micro Gold (MGC)

• Contract Size: 10 troy ounces

• Tick Size: $0.10 per ounce = $1.00 per tick

• Trading Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT

• Margin Requirement: ~$1,210

Micro Silver (SIL)

• Contract Size: 1,000 troy ounces

• Tick Size: $0.005 per ounce = $5.00 per tick

• Margin Requirement: ~$1,430

Micro Copper (HGA)

• Contract Size: 12,500 pounds

• Tick Size: $0.0005/lb = $6.25 per tick

• Margin Requirement: ~$2,200

Metals futures specs

4. E-Micro Currency Futures

Micro currency futures enable participation in foreign exchange markets without the size of traditional contracts.

Available Contracts Include:

• EUR/USD (M6E)

• GBP/USD (M6B)

• AUD/USD (M6A)

• USD/JPY (M6J)

• USD/CAD (MCD)

• USD/CHF (MSF)

• MXN/USD (M6M)

Contract Specs:

• Contract Size: 10,000 units of the base currency

• Tick Size:

  • Varies by pair; typically $0.0001 = $1.00 per tick

• Trading Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT

• Margin Requirements:

  • Ranges from ~$300 to ~$1,200 depending on the currency pair

Micro FX contracts on CME

5. E-Micro Cryptocurrency Futures

The CME introduced micro cryptocurrency contracts to meet the growing demand for regulated digital asset derivatives.

Micro Bitcoin Futures (MBT)

• Contract Size: 0.1 BTC

• Tick Size: $5.00 = $0.50 per tick

• Trading Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT

• Margin Requirement: ~$1,950

Micro Ether Futures (MET)

• Contract Size: 0.1 ETH

• Tick Size: $0.50 = $0.05 per tick

• Margin Requirement: ~$1,000

Crypto futures on CME

6. E-Micro Crude Oil Futures

While no official “E-micro crude oil” contract exists, CME offers Micro WTI Crude Oil Futures (MCL) that fits within the micro category.

Micro WTI Crude Oil (MCL)

• Contract Size: 100 barrels

• Tick Size: $0.01/barrel = $1.00 per tick

• Trading Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT

• Margin Requirement: ~$770

MCL specs

Why Trade E-Micro Contracts?

E-micro contracts are designed for:

• Lower Capital Commitment: Trade the same markets as institutions with less risk exposure.

• Risk Management: Fine-tune position sizing and diversify more easily.

• Scalability: Scale strategies incrementally using more granular contracts.

• Access to CME-Cleared Markets: All micro contracts are centrally cleared and regulated.

At ITG Edge, we support trading in all CME micro contracts with competitive day trading margins to empower our traders using ITG Quantum AI. These tools allow for smarter position scaling, tighter risk management, and flexible exposure across multiple asset classes.

Conclusion

E-micro futures contracts provide an unprecedented level of access to global markets with reduced financial barriers. Whether you’re a retail trader looking for manageable exposure or a professional scaling algorithmic systems, the CME’s micro product suite is designed for versatility and performance.

For detailed contract specs, real-time data, and margin updates, visit CMEGroup.com. And to put these tools into action with institutional-grade AI, explore your options with ITG Edge.

Start trading smarter. Scale confidently. Trade with ITG Edge.