How contract count is calculated
Per contract, stop distance and slippage in ticks are added, multiplied by tick value, then increased by estimated opening and closing costs. Divide the budget by that amount and round down. The result stays within the entered assumptions.
An original example: a USD 250 budget, a 40-tick stop, one extra tick of slippage and USD 5 in costs for NQ produce USD 210 per contract. One contract fits the assumptions; two do not. This example does not select a suitable budget or stop for your trading.
Stop-based loss is not margin
The tool does not calculate broker margin, trading permissions or a guaranteed maximum loss. Gaps, fast markets or technical failures can lead to worse execution. Check actual costs and required margin separately.
Check the contract and inputs
NQ and MNQ share a tick size but have different tick values, as do ES and MES. Tick value follows the selected contract and is displayed alongside the inputs. Stop distance and slippage use whole ticks here; negative or empty inputs do not produce a misleading result.
Sources and methodology
- CME Group · E-mini Nasdaq-100 ↗
- CME Group · E-mini S&P 500 ↗
- CME Group · Micro E-mini contract specifications ↗
Worked examples are original and synthetic. Verify contract specifications with the provider before use.