COMEX gold opens on Globex at 5:00 p.m. CT Sunday and closes at 4:00 p.m. CT Friday. From Monday to Thursday there is a 60 minute break starting at 4:00 p.m. CT.

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Gold Futures Contract Specs: COMEX Gold (GC) Tick Value and Margin

Q: What are the gold futures tick size and tick value?

The minimum move is $0.10 per troy ounce, worth $10.00 on a 100 ounce GC contract.

Q: How much does a $1 gold move change one GC contract?

$100, because the contract holds 100 troy ounces. A $10 move per ounce equals $1,000 per contract.

Q: How large is one GC contract in dollar terms?

Multiply the gold price by 100. At $4,000 per ounce, one contract represents $400,000 of gold.

Q: What is the current GC contract?

The current GC contract is the nearest active month (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct or Dec) that has not reached first notice day. In October 2026 that is December 2026, GCZ26.

Q: What is first notice day for GC?

First notice day for GC is the last business day of the month before the contract month. For December 2026 (GCZ26) it is November 30, 2026.

Q: What happens if I hold GC into the delivery period?

A long position held past first notice day can be assigned delivery of 100 troy ounces at an approved COMEX depository, and a short position may have to make delivery. Most speculative traders close or roll before first notice day to avoid this.

Q: What are the day and overnight margins for COMEX gold?

Lincoln Park Financial lists $2,000 to day trade one GC contract and $50,005 to hold it overnight. Gold margins move with volatility; see the margins page for current figures.

Q: How do GC, MGC and 1OZ differ?

MGC is 10 troy ounces with a $1.00 tick and is physically delivered like GC. 1OZ is one troy ounce with a $0.25 tick and settles in cash to the GC settlement price. GC is the full 100 ounce contract.

GC contract terms, the $10 tick, 23 hour COMEX trading, delivery dates and the margin Lincoln Park Financial lists for 100 ounce gold futures.

COMEX symbol

100 oz

Troy ounces per contract

$10.00

Per $0.10 tick

$2,000

Day trading margin

Quick answer: GC is the 100 troy ounce gold futures contract on COMEX, part of CME Group. Gold is priced per ounce, and every $0.10 change in that price is worth $10.00 on one contract, so a $1.00 move equals $100. GC is physically delivered, which is why most traders exit or roll before first notice day.

What Is a COMEX Gold Futures Contract?

The COMEX gold futures contract (GC) is the benchmark gold futures contract at CME Group. Each contract represents 100 troy ounces of gold with a minimum fineness of 995, is quoted in U.S. dollars and cents per troy ounce, and is physically delivered at expiration. GC trades electronically on CME Globex and is cleared through CME Clearing.

For smaller position sizes, COMEX lists Micro Gold (MGC) at 10 ounces, one tenth of GC, and 1 Ounce Gold (1OZ) at one hundredth of GC. E-mini Gold (QO) at 50 ounces is also listed. Clients usually check the gold margin schedule, request a commission quote and choose one of our trading platforms before they open an account.

Key facts

GC futures at a glance

Symbol

GC
COMEX contract, traded on Globex

Contract size

100 troy ounces
Minimum 995 fineness

Tick size and value

$0.10 = $10.00
Per troy ounce, per contract

$1 move

$100
Per contract

Trading hours

23 hours a day
Sunday 5:00 p.m. to Friday 4:00 p.m. CT

Settlement

Physical delivery
Trading ends the third last business day of the month

Gold Futures Contract Specs (GC)

Product	COMEX Gold Futures
Futures Contract Symbol	GC
Exchange	COMEX (part of CME Group)
Contract Size	100 troy ounces
Price Quotation	U.S. dollars and cents per troy ounce
Trading Hours	CME Globex: Sunday 5:00 p.m. CT to Friday 4:00 p.m. CT, with a 60 minute break starting 4:00 p.m. CT Monday to Thursday
Minimum Price Fluctuation	$0.10 per troy ounce = $10.00 per contract
Contract Months	Monthly contracts listed for 26 consecutive months, plus any June and December in the nearest 72 months
Settlement Method	Deliverable (physical delivery, minimum 995 fineness)
Termination of Trading	12:30 p.m. CT on the third last business day of the contract month
Exchange Fees	$1.60/contract

Official Exchange Source: CME Group Gold Futures Contract Specifications and CME Group gold margins

COMEX sets the GC contract terms, and CME Clearing sets the exchange margin for gold. The clearing firm can require more than the exchange minimum, and either figure can change without notice.

Margin Requirements for COMEX Gold Futures

Day Trading Margins

$2,000

Overnight Margins

$50,005

Gold Futures Contract Sizes Compared: GC, MGC, QO and 1OZ

Contract	Symbol	Size	Tick size and value	Settlement
COMEX Gold	GC	100 troy oz	$0.10 = $10.00	Physical delivery
Micro Gold	MGC	10 troy oz	$0.10 = $1.00	Physical delivery
E-mini Gold	QO	50 troy oz	$0.25 = $12.50	Financially settled
1 Ounce Gold	1OZ	1 troy oz	$0.25 = $0.25	Financially settled

Source: CME Group contract specifications. GC, MGC and QO share the COMEX gold session, 5:00 p.m. CT Sunday to 4:00 p.m. CT Friday. 1OZ trades 24/7 apart from short maintenance windows. QO and 1OZ stop trading on the third last business day of the month before the contract month.

Every metals contract we offer, including GC, has its day and overnight margin on the futures margins page. The futures margin requirements article covers how the two differ, and What Is the CME Bundle? explains the cost of real time COMEX quotes.

Interested in 100 ounce gold? Start a GC account application or get commission pricing from a broker.

Metals futures

COMEX and NYMEX Metals Futures at Lincoln Park Financial

Silver

5,000 troy oz, $0.005 tick = $25.00

View SI contract specs

SIC

100 Ounce Silver

100 troy oz, $0.01 tick = $1.00

View SIC contract specs

E-mini Silver

2,500 troy oz, $0.0125 tick = $31.25

View QI contract specs

Copper

25,000 lbs, $0.0005 tick = $12.50

View HG contract specs

MHG

Micro Copper

2,500 lbs, $0.0005 tick = $1.25

View MHG contract specs

Platinum (NYMEX)

50 troy oz, $0.10 tick = $5.00

View PL contract specs

MGC

Micro Gold

10 troy oz, $0.10 tick = $1.00

View MGC contract specs

E-mini Gold

50 troy oz, $0.25 tick = $12.50

View QO contract specs

1OZ

1 Ounce Gold

1 troy oz, $0.25 tick = $0.25

View 1OZ contract specs

Open a COMEX gold futures account

Ask a broker at 312-500-4730 about GC delivery dates, roll timing and platform setup, or apply online.

What Is the Gold Futures Tick Value and GC Point Value?

Each COMEX gold contract is 100 troy ounces, and prices are quoted in dollars and cents per troy ounce. The gold futures tick size is $0.10 per ounce, so the gold futures tick value is $10.00 per GC contract. The GC point value, a $1.00 move in the gold price, is $100 per contract.

Gold price move (per ounce)	Ticks	GC (100 oz)	MGC (10 oz)
$0.10	1	$10	$1
$1.00	10	$100	$10
$10.00	100	$1,000	$100

Exchange and clearing fees for GC are charged per contract in addition to commission, and a broker can quote the total cost for your expected gold volume.

What Is the Current GC Contract?

GC lists a contract for every month, but most trading is concentrated in the active months: February, April, June, August, October and December. The current GC contract, often called the front month, is the nearest active month that has not yet reached its delivery period. Traders who do not want delivery roll to the next active month before first notice day, the last business day of the month before the contract month.

For example, in October 2026 most GC volume is in December 2026 (GCZ26), whose first notice day is November 30, 2026; the next active month is February 2027 (GCG27). Your trading platform shows the volume in each month.

GC Product Code and Symbol Format

The CME Globex product code for COMEX gold futures is GC. A full contract symbol adds a month code and the year, for example GCZ26 for December 2026 or GCG27 for February 2027. Gold month codes are G (Feb), J (Apr), M (Jun), Q (Aug), V (Oct) and Z (Dec) for the active months, with F, H, K, N, U and X for the other months. Platforms such as CQG, Rithmic and Sierra Chart may display the year with one or two digits.

GC or MGC: Choosing a Gold Contract Size

CME Group lists a smaller Micro Gold futures contract with the symbol MGC. It represents 10 troy ounces of gold and has a minimum tick of $0.10 per ounce, or $1.00 per contract. GC is ten times larger at 100 troy ounces. COMEX also lists E-mini Gold (QO) at 50 troy ounces. Real time GC and MGC quotes are COMEX data, part of the CME bundle.

How Are COMEX Gold Futures Settled?

GC is physically settled. Trading in a contract month ends at 12:30 p.m. CT on the third last business day of that month, and delivery can take place on any business day of the delivery month. CME Group lists monthly GC contracts for 26 consecutive months, plus any June and December in the nearest 72 months.

What Moves Gold Futures Prices?

Gold pays no interest or dividend, and its price is often discussed alongside the factors below. They describe relationships that gold traders monitor, not a forecast of where prices will go.

Interest rates: higher real yields raise the opportunity cost of holding a non yielding asset, so Federal Reserve decisions and Treasury yields are closely followed.
The U.S. dollar: GC is priced in dollars, so changes in the value of the dollar against other currencies change the cost of gold for buyers outside the United States.
Inflation: reports such as CPI and PCE shape inflation expectations, and some investors hold gold as a store of value during inflationary periods.
Central bank buying: central banks hold gold in their reserves, and the World Gold Council publishes quarterly data on official sector purchases and sales.
Investment flows: gold ETF holdings and positioning in the CFTC Commitments of Traders report show how investor demand changes.
Geopolitical events: periods of political or financial uncertainty can increase demand for gold as a reserve asset.

Gold can move sharply around these events, and futures trading involves substantial risk of loss.