E-Mini S&P 500 Futures (ES) | Contract Overview

ES is the ticker symbol for the E-mini S&P 500 futures contract. It represents a smaller sized S&P 500 futures contract designed to be more accessible than the full-size contract.

One ES contract is valued at $50 × the S&P 500 Index.

For example, if the S&P 500 is trading at 5,000:

5,000 × $50 = $250,000 notional value

This gives traders large market exposure with a relatively small margin deposit.

• Minimum tick size: 0.25 index points

• Tick value: $12.50 per contract

Each 1-point move in ES equals $50 per contract.

Yes. ES futures are one of the most actively day-traded contracts in the world due to their liquidity, tight spreads, and nearly 24-hour access.

They are popular with scalpers, intraday traders, and algorithmic traders.

ES futures trade nearly 24 hours per day, Sunday through Friday, with a short daily maintenance break.

This allows traders to react to global economic events in real time.

Traders choose ES futures because they offer:

• Deep liquidity

• Tight bid/ask spreads

• High leverage

• Nearly 24-hour access

• Exposure to the overall U.S. stock market

ES futures offer leverage, extended trading hours, and potential tax advantages compared to ETFs like SPY. However, they also carry higher risk due to leverage.

The right choice depends on your strategy and risk tolerance.