Micro E-Mini Futures FAQs

Related Articles:

When will the Micro E-Mini products be listed for trading?

CME Group will launch the following futures contracts on May 6th.

  • Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures
  • Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures
  • Micro E-mini Dow futures
  • Micro E-mini Russell 2000 futures
Why is CME Group choosing to launch these products?

Since the launch of the E-mini product suite in 1997, the notional value of these contracts has increased dramatically. As a reference, see the price chart of the S&P 500 since its launch in 1997.

The notional value of the E-mini S&P 500 futures contract has increased from ~$47K on the date that it launched to ~$145K on April 22, 2019. The amount of capital needed to access the futures market has become too burdensome for many individual traders. To make our more market accessible to all, CME will launch the Micro E-mini suite of futures, which feature multipliers 1/10 the size of their E-mini counterparts (i.e. $5 multiplier for Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures contract vs. $50 for E-mini S&P 500 (ES) futures).

What are the differences between the currently listed E-mini products and the recently announced Micro E-mini products?
Index Family Micro E-mini Multiplier E-mini Multiplier
S&P 500 $5 $50
Nasdaq-100 $2 $20
Dow Jones $0.50 $5
Russell 2000 $5 $50
What are the contract specifications?

Micro E-mini futures will be listed on the customary U.S. Equity Index futures cycle – there will be five concurrent futures that expire against the opening index value on the third Friday of March, June, September and December. The tick increments will follow their E-mini counterparts as follows:

Index Futures Contract Specs Outright Calendar Spread
Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures 0.25 Index points= $1.25 0.05 index points= $0.25
Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures 0.25 Index points= $0.50 0.05 index points= $0.10
Micro E-mini Dow futures 1.00 Index points= $0.50 1.00 index points= $0.50
Micro E-mini Russell 2000 futures 0.10 Index points= $0.50 0.05 index points= $0.25
What are the codes for these products?
Index Futures Contracts CME Globex Firetip X
Micro E-mini S&P 500 Futures MES MES
Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures MNQ MNQ
Micro E-mini Dow Futures MYM MYM
Micro E-mini Russell 2000 Futures M2K M2K
How many contracts will be listed at a given time?

There will be five months listed in the March Quarterly Cycle (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec) for Micro E-mini S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 and Russell 2000 futures.

Dow Micro E-mini futures will list four months.

What are the trading hours on CME Globex and ClearPort?

Sunday – Friday 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET with a trading halt from 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

How are the daily settlement price Micro E-mini futures determined?

Daily settlement for Micro E-mini futures are based on the 30-second volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of CME Globex trades between 4:14:30 p.m. and 4:15:00 p.m. ET of their E-mini counterpart.

How are final settlement prices of the futures determined?

The Micro E-mini will have the same SOQ value as the corresponding E-mini contract on final settlement day. Final settlement value is based on the Special Opening Quotation (SOQ) on the third Friday of the contract month. The SOQ is based on the opening price of each component stock in the relative index, regardless of when those stocks open.

Are these futures contracts eligible for block trading or BTIC?

No, Micro E-mini Equity Index futures contracts will not be block or BTIC trading eligible.

What are the margin requirements for Micro E-mini Index futures?

Margins are indicative of their E-mini counterparts and the below estimates are based on current market conditions and are subject to change.

Initial Maintenance Futures Price Multiplier Notional Value
MES 690 630 2912.5 5 14562.5
MNQ 836 760 7734.75 2 15469.5
MYM 649 590 26513 0.5 13256.5
M2K 391 355 1564.1 5 7820.5
What are the available margin credits for offsetting positions between the Micro E-mini Index futures and CME Group’s major U.S. benchmark index futures?

Margins credits are indicative of their E-mini counterparts and the below estimates are based on current market conditions and are subject to change

Micro E-Mini Equity Index Futures Margin Offsets:
MES MNQ MYM MRT
MES x 1:1 (75%) 1:6 (85%) 2:15 (80%)
MNQ 1:1 (75%) x 3:5 (55%) 2:3 (70%)
MYM 6:1 (85%) 5:3 (55%) x 2:3 (70%)
MRT 15:2 (80%) 3:2 (70%) 3:2 (70%) x
Learn More about Margins
Are Micro E-mini products fungible with their E-mini counterparts? Can they be offset?

Yes, Micro E-mini futures are offset eligible versus their E-mini counterparts at 10:1 ratio. This can only be applied to offsetting positions. Request can be made by your clearing broker directly to CME Clearing.

Additional Information

Will there be on-screen market makers for the Micro E-mini products?

CME Group plans to introduce a market maker program to assure continuous two-sided markets are quoted on-screen throughout the trading day starting on launch date.

How can I see prices for Micro E-mini Index futures?

You can view quotes through any of our offered Trading Platforms. 

What trade matching algorithm will be used for the Micro E-mini futures on Globex?

Micro E-mini futures will use FIFO (First in, first out) algorithm, identical to their E-mini counterparts.

What are the fees for Micro E-mini contracts?

Micro E-mini S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and Russell 2000 products will be part of the Micro E-mini Equity Index futures suite according to the CME Fee Schedule.

Micro E-mini Dow will be part of the Micro E-mini Equity Index future suite according to the CBOT Fee Schedule.

Please note the above relates to CME clearing fees. Commissions, clearing, NFA, and other fees may apply.

Are there circuit breakers on Micro E-mini products?

CME Group U.S. Equity Index price limits (and corresponding CME and CBOT rules) are designed to coordinate with circuit breakers provisions as applied by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Micro E-mini contracts will follow the same rules as their E-mini counterparts.

  • 7%, 13%, and 20% price limits are applied to the futures fixing price and are effective from 8:30 a.m. CT – 3:00 p.m. CT. Mondays through Fridays. This only applies to the downside.
  • 5% up-and-down limits are effective 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 a.m. CT. Sundays through Fridays; and 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT, Mondays through Fridays. Between 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. the 5% price limit will not be allowed to breach the 20% daily limit.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us or leave a comment.

Live Demo of the Ironbeam trading platform
Sign up for a FREE 14 day trial of the Ironbeam futures trading platform 

Please note that the demo does not account for commissions and fees that would be charged in a live account.

DISCLAIMER: There is a substantial risk of loss in trading commodity futures and options products. Losses in excess of your initial investment may occur. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please contact your account representative with concerns or questions.

Information was gathered from an independent 3rd party, and while the information is believed to be reliable, Ironbeam is not responsible for inaccuracies.

By |2023-03-03T10:05:29-06:00May 2nd, 2019|Trader Education|22 Comments

22 Comments

  1. K Carr May 2, 2019 at 8:48 pm - Reply

    Don’t really see the point for trading these… The brokerage commissions / fees / all in etc. will still be the same, except with the smaller contracts profitability would drop by 90%. So same high costs, much reduced profitability. Could be good for new traders to get their feet wet I guess.

    • Ironbeam May 3, 2019 at 8:19 am - Reply

      Hi Mr. Carr,

      The fees are actually a little bit lower. For example, the exchange fee for an E-Mini S&P is $1.18 per side, while the Micro E-Mini S&P exchange fee is only $.20/side. It’s hard to say how popular these will be before they start trading, but we see these as being very useful for options hedging, as well as position/swing trading, since the capital requirement is much lower as well as the leverage.

  2. VM May 15, 2019 at 12:09 pm - Reply

    How much is going to be a deposit to open an account to trade Micro ES?

    • Ironbeam May 16, 2019 at 11:27 am - Reply

      Hello,

      We do not have account minimums. The margins for the Micro Eminis are around $700 at the moment. For day trading, we offer margins as low as $50 on these contracts.

  3. PK May 18, 2019 at 12:13 am - Reply

    Is IB planning to start futures trading tutorials?

    • Ironbeam May 20, 2019 at 9:26 am - Reply

      Hi PK,

      We don’t currently have futures trading tutorials, however there are some great free resources out there for beginner traders. Send us an email and we can point you in the right direction.

  4. Jude Dundas May 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm - Reply

    Where can I get the ticker for the micro=E=minis. Do you accept accounts from Canadians. What is the minimum to open the account. What are your commissions for stocks , futures and options.how can I try your platform

    • Ironbeam May 22, 2019 at 10:26 am - Reply

      Hi Jude,

      I recommend getting a demo of Firetip X. You can sign up for a demo on our home page HERE. We do not have account minimums, and you can find more information on opening an account and commissions HERE.

  5. Ismael Lozada September 28, 2019 at 9:31 am - Reply

    What’s the charge after the 14 day trial to keep using the platform. Also I’m trading one contract .if I’m reading this right it’ll be $0.40 in and out per side 1 contract. On the previous posted messages. Regards

    • Ironbeam March 10, 2020 at 3:54 pm - Reply

      Ismael,

      The Firetip X trading platform is completely free to new accounts for the entire year of 2020. As for commissions, please give us a call, as fees vary by product. 312-765-7200.

  6. Thomas A Wathen October 8, 2019 at 12:21 pm - Reply

    how much a round turn all in for you guys?

    • Ironbeam March 10, 2020 at 3:54 pm - Reply

      Thomas,

      For a detailed commission breakdown, please call us at 312-765-7200 or send an email to [email protected]

  7. tommy February 12, 2020 at 4:34 pm - Reply

    HI,

    How much you guys charge for commission after the 30 days promotion period?

    • Ironbeam March 10, 2020 at 12:03 pm - Reply

      Tommy,

      Commissions are dependent on a few things. Please shoot us an email or give us a call for a quote. The lowest commission we currently offer on the Micros are 25 cents per side.

  8. nyan April 30, 2020 at 7:06 pm - Reply

    how much funds do i need to trade future and commissions please

    • Ironbeam May 11, 2020 at 3:39 pm - Reply

      Nyan,

      Feel free to call and speak to a licensed rep to discuss commission rates. We do not have account minimums.

  9. Owin May 28, 2020 at 5:16 am - Reply

    I have ninjatrader lifetime license. Can I use it here?

    • Ironbeam June 22, 2020 at 1:40 pm - Reply

      Owin,

      You can use a lifetime Ninja license here if you purchased it prior to March of 2015.

  10. Achille January 9, 2022 at 8:15 am - Reply

    Can we use CQG here?

  11. Y. Gonzalez March 29, 2023 at 4:43 pm - Reply

    Hi, is it possible to trade fractions, like sizing 3.45 contracts of Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures for example, or has to be always integers: 1, 2, 3… 10 etc

Leave A Comment

Go to Top