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Futures Tick Value & Position Profit or Loss

Calculate gross long or short futures profit and loss from entry and exit prices, tick value, ticks per point and contract count.

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Calculator inputs

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How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Where results are editable, change one to solve backwards. Lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

Use the result with context

Results are estimates for planning and education. Confirm rates, taxes, fees, and legal requirements with the relevant institution or a qualified professional before making a financial decision.

Formula and method

Two Micro E-mini S&P 500 contracts moving from 5,000 to 5,010 gain 100 for a long position: 10 points × 5 per point × 2. A short position has a gross loss of 100.

Long P/L = (exit − entry) × tick value × ticks per point × contracts; short P/L = −long P/L

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Contract preset or custom specifications
Micro E-Mini S&P 500
Entry price in quoted points
5000 points
Exit price in quoted points
5010 points
Whole contracts
2
Tick value
1.25 USD
Number of ticks per point
4
Point value
5 USD
Exit minus entry, in points
10
Profit / loss for a long position
100 USD

Assumptions and limitations

  • Enter entry price first and exit price second for either direction. For a short position, entry is the initial sale and exit is the later purchase; the sign reverses automatically.
  • The result is gross position P/L. Commissions, exchange fees, slippage, funding, tax, currency conversion and margin requirements are excluded.
  • Presets describe outright contracts, not calendar spreads. The Micro E-mini equity values and palladium tick size were reviewed against the linked exchange references; select custom to enter other specifications.
  • Tick value is money per minimum price increment for one contract. Ticks per point is the reciprocal of the quoted tick size. Use a consistent monetary unit.
  • A positive whole contract count is required. Prices may be negative for products that support negative quotations; this arithmetic does not certify whether a quote is valid for a particular contract.

Common questions

Why do the short and long results have opposite signs?

They use the same entry-to-exit price movement. A long gains when exit exceeds entry; a short gains when exit is lower.

References

Bookify requires a positive whole number of futures contracts. Bookify corrects the three Micro E-mini tick values that were ten times too large and updates the palladium outright tick to 0.50 per ounce, or 50 per 100-ounce contract.

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