Free tool for futures traders
Futures TP/SL Calculator: Take Profit and Stop Loss by Symbol
Calculate the exact take profit and stop loss price for futures using symbol, entry price, contracts, long or short direction, target profit and dollar risk. The calculator uses tick size, tick value and point value for ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, crude oil, gold, silver, natural gas and copper.
Updated May 13, 2026. Educational tool only; always verify current CME Group specifications and your broker or prop firm rules.
What does this calculator do?
This futures TP/SL calculator converts a target profit in dollars and a maximum risk in dollars into exact take profit and stop loss prices. The calculation changes by symbol because every futures contract has its own tick size, tick value and point value.
Example: ES moves $12.50 per tick per contract, while MES moves $1.25 per tick per contract. If you risk $250 with 1 ES, your stop is 20 ticks. If you risk $250 with 1 MES, your stop is 200 ticks. The price distance, volatility profile and funded account pressure are completely different.
Formula for futures take profit and stop loss
The base formula is: price movement = dollars / (contracts x point value). After that, the price is rounded to the valid tick size for the selected contract and trade direction.
- Long: take profit = entry + TP movement. Stop loss = entry - SL movement.
- Short: take profit = entry - TP movement. Stop loss = entry + SL movement.
- Point value: tick value / tick size.
- Position tick value: tick value x contracts.
Rounding matters. If your desired risk is smaller than one valid tick, the real loss cannot be lower than one tick multiplied by your number of contracts, before commissions and slippage.
Included contracts and tick values
The table below shows the values used by the calculator. It focuses on the futures contracts most often used by day traders and funded account traders: equity indexes, WTI crude oil, natural gas, gold, silver and copper.
| Symbol | Contract | Tick size | Tick value | Point value | Typical use |
|---|
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $12.50 | $50 | Liquid index contract, larger tick value than MES. |
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | 0.25 | $1.25 | $5 | Micro contract for finer risk control. |
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $5.00 | $20 | High-volatility index, popular in prop firms. |
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | 0.25 | $0.50 | $2 | Micro Nasdaq for flexible stop placement. |
| YM / MYM | E-mini Dow / Micro Dow | 1.00 | $5.00 / $0.50 | $5 / $0.50 | Index contracts with whole-point ticks. |
| RTY / M2K | Russell 2000 E-mini / Micro | 0.10 | $5.00 / $0.50 | $50 / $5 | Small-cap index exposure. |
| CL / MCL / QM | WTI Crude Oil | 0.01 / 0.025 | $10 / $1 / $12.50 | $1000 / $100 / $500 | Crude oil; check expirations and volatility. |
| NG / MNG / QG | Henry Hub Natural Gas | 0.001 / 0.005 | $10 / $1 / $12.50 | $10000 / $1000 / $2500 | Natural gas, high-volatility energy market. |
| GC / MGC | Gold / Micro Gold | 0.10 | $10 / $1 | $100 / $10 | Gold, often active around macro news. |
| SI / SIL / SIC | Silver / 1,000-oz / 100-oz Silver | 0.005 / 0.01 / 0.01 | $25 / $10 / $1 | $5000 / $1000 / $100 | Silver; verify availability on your platform. |
| HG | Copper | 0.0005 | $12.50 | $25,000 | Copper, sensitive to industrial data. |
Quick examples for ES, MNQ, CL and GC
ES long: entry 5000, 2 contracts, $500 TP and $250 SL. ES is worth $50 per point per contract, so 2 contracts are worth $100 per point. TP needs 5 points and SL needs 2.5 points. Result: TP 5005.00 and SL 4997.50.
MNQ long: entry 18000, 5 contracts, $250 TP and $125 SL. MNQ is worth $2 per point per contract, so 5 contracts are worth $10 per point. TP is 25 points higher and SL is 12.5 points lower.
CL long: entry 80.00, 1 contract, $500 TP and $300 SL. CL is worth $1,000 per point, so TP is 0.50 higher and SL is 0.30 lower.
GC short: entry 2400.0, 1 contract, $400 TP and $200 SL. GC is worth $100 per point, so TP is 4.0 points lower and SL is 2.0 points higher.
How to use this calculator for prop firm accounts
In a funded account, a good risk/reward trade is not enough. You also need to know whether the stop fits your remaining drawdown, max daily loss and consistency rule. A normal NQ stop can be reasonable in a large account but too aggressive in a smaller evaluation when position size is high.
A practical workflow is to calculate your SL in dollars first, then open the drawdown calculator and check whether that loss still leaves enough room to keep trading. If one stop consumes more than 20%-25% of your daily loss buffer, the issue is usually position sizing, not the entry.
When should traders use micro futures instead of minis?
Micros such as MES, MNQ, MCL, MGC, MNG, MYM and M2K allow more precise risk control. A trader testing a strategy, trading a small funded evaluation or trying to satisfy consistency rules often benefits from micros because each tick has a smaller impact on account balance.
Minis such as ES, NQ, CL or GC can be efficient for larger accounts, but execution mistakes are more expensive. If your technical stop makes sense on the chart but the dollar loss is too large, reduce contracts or switch to a micro instead of moving the stop to an illogical level.
Best prop firms to compare after calculating TP/SL
After you know your risk per trade, compare challenges by price, account size, profit target, drawdown, max daily loss and payout rules. The best prop firm for scalping is not always the best one for wider intraday stops.
Alpha Futures
Worth comparing if you prioritize clear rules, no-trailing-drawdown plan structures and an evaluation that is easy to understand before checkout.
MyFundedFutures
Useful for traders comparing fast payouts, Rapid/Builder/Flex plans and no max daily loss rules on selected products.
Sources and accuracy notes
The tick sizes and tick values are based on public CME Group specifications reviewed on May 13, 2026. CME explains that tick sizes are set by the exchange and that current specifications should be verified on official product pages. This tool does not include commissions, slippage, exchange fees, liquidation rules or broker spreads.
Turn TP/SL into an account decision
Calculate your exit prices, check whether the risk fits the drawdown, and compare funded account challenges before buying an evaluation. A good setup is not enough if position size breaks the rules.
How do I calculate stop loss in ES futures?
ES is worth $12.50 per tick and $50 per point per contract. If you risk $250 with 1 ES, divide 250 / 50 = 5 points. For a long entry at 5000, the stop would be 4995.00 before commissions and slippage.
How do I calculate take profit in NQ or MNQ?
NQ is worth $20 per point per contract and MNQ is worth $2 per point per contract. Divide the desired profit by contracts x point value, then add or subtract that movement from entry depending on long or short direction.
Which futures contract is better for a small funded account?
For smaller funded accounts, micro contracts usually provide better risk control. MES, MNQ, MCL and MGC reduce tick value compared with ES, NQ, CL and GC, so stops can be placed without consuming as much drawdown.
Why does my TP or SL change after rounding?
Futures cannot trade at every decimal. Each contract has a minimum tick size. If the raw calculation produces an invalid price, the calculator rounds to a valid tick so the output can be used as an executable price level.
Does this calculator include commissions?
No. The calculator shows gross P&L from price movement. For live trading, subtract commissions, exchange fees, data fees, slippage and any platform cost.
