Don Dawson
Online Trading Academy
A term that trips up a lot of Futures traders Pro and Novice alike is Ticks and Monetary Tick Values. A tick is the minimum amount a price can change for that market. The Stock market trades in minimum tick increments of .01 (one cent) per share unless a market maker trades between the bid and ask, then the minimum tick could be smaller. However, in the Futures markets there are no market makers (can I hear a hooray?), so the minimum tick is just that, “always” the minimum tick as long as the order is traded on the electronic platform.
The difference is that each Futures contract has a different minimum tick increment. And since each market has a different tick increment then the monetary value of each of these ticks will be different as well. Table 1 illustrates some market examples with minimum ticks and tick values.
The best way to find a minimum tick value for a Futures contract is to go to the contract specifications page of the Exchange website where the product trades at. For example, the 30 Year Bond (US) trades on the CMEGroup Exchange. Go to www.cmegroup.com and locate the product on the home page then find the contracts specification tab. Once there the minimum tick is identified for you. If a trader wants contract specifications for Sugar they should visit www.theice.com. All traders should be familiar with the Exchange websites that the products they choose to trade are actually traded on.
There is plenty of other useful information on the contract specification page. One of them that we are going to address more in this article is contract size or point value.
Have you ever wondered where the monetary value for each tick comes from in a Futures contract?
From Table 1 you can see the differences in monetary tick values yet sometimes the minimum tick can be the same as another market with a different monetary tick value, such as Crude Oil and Sugar which have the same minimum tick increment, but completely different monetary tick values.
Futures trade in contract sizes or point values. Table 2 illustrates some examples.
When you read a price quote (last price) that is on your chart, order platform, in a newspaper etc. you are reading a unit price for that product. Crude Oil is priced in dollars and cents per barrel, Grains are priced in cents per bushel, Sugar is priced in cents per pound etc. A Futures contract is made up of multiples of these units. If the Futures contract does not trade in units then the Exchange assigns a point value to that contract. The Stock Index and Interest Rate Futures use Point values instead of contract size.
Knowing the contract size or points and minimum tick value can help you identify what the monetary tick value is for the product you are trading. Table 3 will illustrate some of the markets you may be trading already.
To find the monetary tick value for any Futures contract you can use the following formulas:
Stock Indexes and Interest Rates
Points X Minimum Tick = Monetary Tick Value
All Other Markets
Contract Size X Minimum Tick = Monetary Tick Value
It is of the utmost importance that a trader knows and understands the product that he is trading.
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life: define yourself.” Harvey Fierstein
This content is intended to provide educational information only. This information should not be construed as individual or customized legal, tax, financial or investment services. As each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should be consulted before making legal, tax, financial and investment decisions. The educational information provided in this article does not comprise any course or a part of any course that may be used as an educational credit for any certification purpose and will not prepare any User to be accredited for any licenses in any industry and will not prepare any User to get a job. Reproduced by permission from OTAcademy.com click here for Terms of Use: https://www.otacademy.com/about/terms
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD struggles to regain momentum in the low1.1600s
EUR/USD is giving some signs of life in the aftermath of two severe days of losses on Wednesday, reclaiming the 1.1600 hurdle and above on the back of the resurgence of a mild selling bias around the US Dollar. Moving forward, the usual US weekly Claims will take centre stage on Thursday ahead of Friday’s crucial NFP data.
GBP/USD appears bid around 1.3370
GBP/USD reverses part of its recent multi-day decline, gathering some balance and managing to reach the 1.3400 region, where some initial resistance seems to have turned up. Cable’s uptick comes in response to some loss of momentum in the Greenback despite the geopolitical scenario remaining fragile.
USD/JPY retraces to near 157.50 amid Japanese intervention fears
USD/JPY pulls back to near 157.50 in the Asian session on Wednesday as bulls turn cautious amid Japanese FX intervention fears following the recent rally to a nearly six-week high, reached Tuesday. Meanwhile, reduced bets for an immediate BoJ rate hike undermine the Japanese Yen, while the flight to safety benefits the US Dollar's status as a global reserve currency amid expectations for a less dovish Fed, keeping the downside limited for the pair.
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD: Recovery now targets 0.7100
AUD/USD reverses two steep daily declines in a row, gathering fresh steam and retargeting the key 0.7100 barrier at the end of the NA session on Wednesday. Fresh selling pressure around the Greenback allows the Aussie to regain traction, coming back from Tuesday’s four-week lows near 0.6950.
EUR/USD struggles to regain momentum in the low1.1600s
EUR/USD is giving some signs of life in the aftermath of two severe days of losses on Wednesday, reclaiming the 1.1600 hurdle and above on the back of the resurgence of a mild selling bias around the US Dollar. Moving forward, the usual US weekly Claims will take centre stage on Thursday ahead of Friday’s crucial NFP data.
Gold recovers modestly despite intensifying Middle East crisis
Gold keeps its daily gains well in place, although a break above the $5,200 mark per troy ounce still remains elusive on Wednesday. The yellow metal’s rebound comes in response to the persistent flight-to-safety amid intense geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the bearish performance of the US Dollar.
XRP rises alongside peers as ETFs attract inflows
Ripple (XRP) is gaining upside momentum, trading above $1.40 at the time of writing on Wednesday. The remittance token is rising in tandem with major crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), which has crossed above the pivotal $70,000 level, and Ethereum (ETH), which is holding above $2,000.
First Venezuela, now Iran: The US-China energy war escalates Premium
At first glance, the latest escalation involving the United States with both Iran and Venezuela looks like another chapter in a long-running geopolitical story. But viewed through a broader strategic lens, something else may be unfolding: Energy.
RECOMMENDED LESSONS
Making money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
I’m often mystified in my educational forex articles why so many traders struggle to make consistent money out of forex trading. The answer has more to do with what they don’t know than what they do know. After working in investment banks for 20 years many of which were as a Chief trader its second knowledge how to extract cash out of the market.
5 Forex News Events You Need To Know
In the fast moving world of currency markets where huge moves can seemingly come from nowhere, it is extremely important for new traders to learn about the various economic indicators and forex news events and releases that shape the markets. Indeed, quickly getting a handle on which data to look out for, what it means, and how to trade it can see new traders quickly become far more profitable and sets up the road to long term success.
Top 10 Chart Patterns Every Trader Should Know
Chart patterns are one of the most effective trading tools for a trader. They are pure price-action, and form on the basis of underlying buying and selling pressure. Chart patterns have a proven track-record, and traders use them to identify continuation or reversal signals, to open positions and identify price targets.
7 Ways to Avoid Forex Scams
The forex industry is recently seeing more and more scams. Here are 7 ways to avoid losing your money in such scams: Forex scams are becoming frequent. Michael Greenberg reports on luxurious expenses, including a submarine bought from the money taken from forex traders. Here’s another report of a forex fraud. So, how can we avoid falling in such forex scams?
What Are the 10 Fatal Mistakes Traders Make
Trading is exciting. Trading is hard. Trading is extremely hard. Some say that it takes more than 10,000 hours to master. Others believe that trading is the way to quick riches. They might be both wrong. What is important to know that no matter how experienced you are, mistakes will be part of the trading process.
The challenge: Timing the market and trader psychology
Successful trading often comes down to timing – entering and exiting trades at the right moments. Yet timing the market is notoriously difficult, largely because human psychology can derail even the best plans. Two powerful emotions in particular – fear and greed – tend to drive trading decisions off course.