Futures Profit Calculator
Calculate profit or loss on a futures trade from entry price, exit price, tick size, and tick value. Works for long and short positions across all major contracts (ES, NQ, CL, GC, micros) or a fully custom product.
Minimum price increment (auto-filled from preset)
Dollar value of one tick per contract
Choose a contract, set entry and exit prices, then click Calculate P/L to see your total profit or loss.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Read full disclaimer
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Plan exits with risk-defined stop and target levels
Want the full context? See the full trade planning workflow →
Futures P/L Formula
Ticks Moved = (Exit Price − Entry Price) / Tick Size
Direction = +1 (long) or −1 (short)
P/L Per Contract = Ticks Moved × Tick Value × Direction
Total P/L = P/L Per Contract × Number of Contracts
Breakeven Exit = Entry Price (excludes fees)
Worked Examples
Example 1: Long ES Winner — 2 Contracts
You buy 2 ES contracts at 5,200 and exit at 5,210. ES tick size is 0.25 with $12.50 per tick.
- Ticks moved = (5,210 − 5,200) / 0.25 = 40 ticks
- P/L per contract = 40 × $12.50 × (+1) = +$500
- Total P/L (2 contracts) = +$1,000
Example 2: Short CL Winner — 1 Contract
You sell short 1 CL contract at $82.00 and cover at $80.50. CL tick size is $0.01 with $10 per tick.
- Ticks moved = (80.50 − 82.00) / 0.01 = −150 ticks
- P/L per contract = −150 × $10 × (−1) = +$1,500
- Total P/L (1 contract) = +$1,500 (short profits when price falls)
Example 3: Long MNQ Loser — 3 Contracts
You buy 3 MNQ contracts at 18,000 and stop out at 17,975. MNQ tick size is 0.25 with $0.50 per tick.
- Ticks moved = (17,975 − 18,000) / 0.25 = −100 ticks
- P/L per contract = −100 × $0.50 × (+1) = −$50
- Total P/L (3 contracts) = −$150
How to Use This Calculator
- Pick a direction — Long if you bought first, Short if you sold first.
- Choose a contract preset — ES, NQ, CL, GC, the micros, or pick Custom to enter your own tick size and tick value.
- Enter entry and exit prices — both in the contract's native price units (index points, dollars per barrel, dollars per ounce, etc.).
- Enter number of contracts — whole-number count of contracts you held.
- Click Calculate P/L — the result shows total profit/loss, per-contract P/L, ticks moved, and breakeven exit. Green means gain, red means loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is profit or loss calculated on a futures contract?
- Futures P/L is calculated as (Exit Price − Entry Price) divided by Tick Size, multiplied by Tick Value, multiplied by direction (+1 for long, −1 for short), times the number of contracts. For example, a 10-tick favorable move on 2 ES contracts at $12.50/tick equals 10 × $12.50 × 2 = $250 profit.
- What is the difference between going long and going short?
- Going long means you buy first hoping the price rises — you profit when exit > entry. Going short means you sell first hoping the price falls — you profit when exit < entry. The math is the same magnitude in both cases, just with the sign flipped. Most futures contracts allow shorting with the same margin as longs.
- Why use tick size and tick value instead of just price difference?
- Futures contracts have a fixed dollar value per tick set by the exchange. Multiplying ticks by tick value gives exact P/L in dollars without needing to know the contract multiplier directly. It also matches how brokers report fills — orders are filled in ticks, so position P/L is naturally tracked in ticks.
- Does this calculator include commissions or exchange fees?
- No — the result is pre-fee P/L. Real-world net P/L will be slightly lower after broker commissions (typically $0.25–$1.50 per contract per side), exchange fees, and NFA fees. Subtract roughly $4–$5 per round-turn contract for retail futures brokers to estimate net.
- What is the breakeven exit price for a futures trade?
- The breakeven exit equals the entry price (ignoring fees). If you include commissions, you need to move a few ticks past entry in your favor to cover round-trip fees before the trade is truly profitable. Use the related Stop Loss / Take Profit calculator to plan with explicit risk and reward levels.