NQ & MNQ tick value calculator

NQ tick value vs MNQ tick value

A tick is the minimum price increment of an outright futures contract. A point is one full index point. Confusing them makes an NQ calculation four times too large or too small: a 20-tick move is 5 points, not 20 points.

For NQ, CME specifies a contract multiplier of $20 per index point and a minimum increment of 0.25 points. Multiplying these gives $5 per tick. These are contract specifications, not the amount of margin required to trade.

Reference : CME Group — E-mini Nasdaq-100 contract specifications

Ticks, points and dollars: the conversion table

MNQ uses the same 0.25-point price increment as NQ with a $2 multiplier. Its dollar movement per contract is one tenth of NQ. Both products reference the Nasdaq-100 index; a smaller multiplier does not remove market or execution risk.

On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally.

Reference : CME Group — Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 contract specifications

How to calculate NQ and MNQ dollar movement

Using ticks: dollar movement = ticks × tick value × number of contracts. Using points: dollar movement = points × point value × number of contracts. The calculator takes a distance rather than an entry or exit price, so it shows a magnitude, not a signed profit or loss.

Hypothetical example: 8 ticks across 2 NQ contracts is 8 × $5 × 2 = $80. Across 2 MNQ contracts it is 8 × $0.50 × 2 = $8. In both cases the price moves 2 points. A favourable move produces a gross gain; an adverse move produces a gross loss.

Changing the unit in the calculator preserves the distance: 20 ticks becomes 5 points. Enter whole ticks or multiples of 0.25 points, and a whole number of contracts.

A stop-distance example, and what it leaves out

Hypothetical long position: entry at 20,000.00 and a stop level at 19,995.00. The distance is 5 points, or 20 ticks. At that distance, one NQ contract represents $100 and one MNQ represents $10 before costs. These prices are an arithmetic example, not a suggested trade.

That figure is not a guaranteed maximum loss. A stop can execute away from its trigger price, and commissions and other charges change the net result. Margin, buying power and a prop firm drawdown rule are separate calculations; this tool does not determine them.

For a practice journal, record the price distance and contract count separately. Then record the actual simulated fill and any cost assumption used. This makes a unit error visible before you interpret a strategy result.

A three-minute practice check, with answers

Pause a replay before looking at the next move. Choose a hypothetical distance and write down its dollar effect. This exercise checks arithmetic and observation; it does not tell you where to enter or place a stop.

• Question 1: What is a 12-tick move on 3 MNQ contracts? Answer: 3 points and $18 (12 × $0.50 × 3).
• Question 2: What is a 7.5-point move on 2 NQ contracts? Answer: 30 ticks and $300 (7.5 × $20 × 2).
• Question 3: Does 10 MNQ have the same gross dollar movement as 1 NQ for the same point distance? Yes, because 10 × $2 = $20 per point. This does not imply identical fees, liquidity or fills.