The main e-mini contracts trading today and their ticker symbols

The e-mini futures you can trade right now depend on which exchange lists them and what market hours explore. The most actively traded e-mini contracts are the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ), E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM), and E-mini Russell 2000 (MES). Each has its own symbol, contract size, and trading schedule. The symbols stay the same, but the specific contract month you trade changes — for example, ES might refer to the December contract one month and the March contract the next.

These contracts trade on the CME Globex electronic platform, which operates nearly around the clock on weekdays. Regular trading hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Central Time, matching stock market hours. Extended hours trading begins at 5:00 p.m. the previous day and runs until 4:00 p.m. the next day, with a one-hour break starting at 4:15 p.m. This means you can trade e-mini contracts outside normal stock market hours, though volume and price movement differ from daytime sessions.

The contract month is part of the symbol itself. A December ES contract might show as ESZ24 (Z for December, 24 for 2024), while a March contract shows as ESH25 (H for March, 25 for 2025). The letter code follows a standard pattern: F for January, G for February, H for March, J for April, K for May, M for June, N for July, Q for August, U for September, V for October, X for November, and Z for December. Your broker's platform will show you which months are currently open for trading.

Key Takeaways

  • The four most liquid e-mini contracts are ES (S&P 500), NQ (Nasdaq-100), YM (Dow), and MES (Russell 2000), each with different contract sizes and price movements.
  • E-mini futures trade on CME Globex nearly 24 hours on weekdays, with regular hours matching stock market times and extended hours before and after.
  • Contract symbols include a letter code for the month (Z for December, H for March) and a number for the year, so the same contract changes its symbol as it rolls forward.
  • Volume and price spreads vary significantly between regular hours and extended hours, affecting how easily you can enter and exit positions.

How to find which e-mini contracts are trading on your broker's platform

Your broker's trading platform shows available e-mini contracts in a futures or symbols search. Most platforms let you type the root symbol (ES, NQ, YM, or MES) and display all open contract months. The platform will show the current bid-ask spread, the last traded price, and the trading volume for each month. Contracts that are further out (six months or more) typically have lower volume and wider spreads, making them harder to trade at a good price.

The front-month contract — the one expiring soonest — almost always has the highest volume and the tightest bid-ask spread. For ES, this might be the December contract in November, then the March contract in December. Most day traders and active traders focus on the front month because it is easiest to enter and exit quickly. If you are holding a position longer than a few weeks, you may need to roll your contract forward to a later month before expiration, which means closing the front-month contract and opening the same position in the next available month.

Your broker's website or customer service can tell you the exact expiration date for each contract month. E-mini contracts typically expire on the third Friday of the contract month. Knowing this date matters because volume drops sharply in the final days before expiration, and your broker may automatically close your position if you do not roll it forward.

Price movement and contract size for the main e-mini symbols

Each e-mini contract moves differently in dollar terms, which affects how much money you need to control a position and how much each price movement costs you. The E-mini S&P 500 (ES) is worth $50 times the index level — if the S&P 500 is at 5,000, one ES contract represents $250,000 in notional value. A one-point move in ES equals $50 in profit or loss. The E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) is worth $20 times the index, so a one-point move equals $20. The E-mini Dow (YM) is worth $5 times the index, making a one-point move worth $5. The Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) is worth $5 times the index, so a one-point move equals $5.

These differences matter for position sizing and risk management. If you want to control a smaller notional value or limit your loss per trade, MES or YM let you do that with a single contract. If you want larger moves per contract, ES or NQ give you that. Many traders use multiple micro contracts instead of one standard contract to fine-tune their position size.

The bid-ask spread — the difference between the price someone will pay (bid) and the price someone will sell at (ask) — varies by contract and time of day. During regular stock market hours, ES typically has a spread of one to two points. During extended hours, the spread may widen to three to five points or more. This spread is a real cost every time you enter or exit a trade, so tighter spreads during peak hours make trading cheaper.

When volume is highest and lowest for e-mini contracts

E-mini futures volume peaks during regular stock market hours, roughly 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Central Time. The first 30 minutes after the market opens (9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) and the final hour before close (3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.) typically see the heaviest trading. This is when bid-ask spreads are tightest, prices move most, and you can enter or exit large positions without moving the market much.

Volume drops significantly during extended hours (5:00 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next day). Overnight trading, especially between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., can be thin, meaning fewer traders are active and spreads widen. If major economic news or earnings announcements happen during extended hours, volume may spike temporarily, but it remains lower than daytime volume. Trading during low-volume periods carries higher slippage risk — the difference between the price you expect and the price you actually get.

Weekend gaps are another consideration. E-mini futures close at 4:00 p.m. Friday and reopen at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. If major news breaks over the weekend, the market will gap open Monday morning, potentially moving several points when ready. This gap risk is why many traders close positions before the weekend.

How contract expiration affects which symbol you should trade

As a contract approaches expiration, its symbol becomes less useful for active trading. Volume migrates to the next contract month, and the expiring contract's bid-ask spread widens. If you are holding a position in an expiring contract, you must roll it forward — sell the expiring contract and buy the next month's contract — before expiration. This roll typically happens in the week before expiration, when volume in the next month is already high.

The difference in price between two contract months is called the spread or roll spread. For example, if December ES is trading at 5,000 and March ES is trading at 5,010, the spread is 10 points. When you roll, you pay or receive this spread depending on which month is higher. Rolling costs money in the form of slippage and commissions, so traders factor this into their strategy.

If you are new to e-mini trading, stick with the front-month contract for the first few months. Once you understand how rolling works and how spreads behave, you can decide whether to hold positions across multiple months or stay in the front month only.

Reading e-mini symbols on your broker's platform

A complete e-mini symbol tells you the contract type, the month, and the year. ES is the root symbol for E-mini S&P 500. The letter after ES tells you the month: ESH is March, ESM is June, ESU is September, ESZ is December. The number at the end is the year: ESZ24 is December 2024, ESZ25 is December 2025. Some platforms show this as a single string (ESZ24), while others break it into separate fields (ES, Z, 24).

Your broker's platform will let you search by root symbol (just type ES) and see all available months, or you can type the full symbol (ESZ24) to go directly to that contract. Most platforms also show the contract specifications — the multiplier, the tick size (smallest price movement), the expiration date, and the trading hours — if you click on the contract details.

If you are unsure which symbol to trade, start by looking at the volume and open interest columns on your platform. The front month will have the highest numbers, making it the safest choice for learning. As you gain experience, you can explore other months and contract types.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade e-mini futures outside of regular stock market hours?

Yes. E-mini futures trade on CME Globex nearly 24 hours on weekdays, with extended hours from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. the next day. Volume and spreads are much wider during extended hours, so execution is slower and more expensive. Most active traders stick to regular hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Central Time) when volume is highest.

What does the letter in an e-mini symbol mean?

The letter represents the contract month. Z always means December, H always means March, M always means June, and U always means September. The full list follows the same pattern every year. The number after the letter is the year, so ESZ24 is the December 2024 S&P 500 contract and ESZ25 is December 2025.

Which e-mini contract should I trade if I am just starting out?

Start with the front-month contract (the one expiring soonest) of the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) or the Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES). ES has the highest volume and tightest spreads, while MES lets you control a smaller position size. Both are liquid enough for beginners to enter and exit easily during regular market hours.

What happens if I do not close my e-mini contract before it expires?

Most brokers will automatically close your position or force you to roll it to the next month a few days before expiration. Check your broker's policy on this. If you want to hold a position past expiration, you must manually roll it by closing the expiring contract and opening the same position in the next available month.

Why is the bid-ask spread wider during extended hours?

Extended hours have fewer traders active, so there are fewer buy and sell orders in the market. Market makers widen their spreads to protect themselves against sudden price moves when volume is thin. This wider spread is a real cost every time you trade, which is why most traders avoid extended hours unless they have a specific reason to trade outside regular hours.