Research Library / Markets

Markets

US Index Futures

US equity index futures trade on the CME Group complex and cover the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow Jones and Russell 2000 index families — each available in a standard contract and a smaller, micro-sized version designed for smaller accounts.

What this family covers

Four major US index futures complexes dominate retail and institutional volume: the S&P 500 (E-mini ES and Micro E-mini MES), the Nasdaq-100 (E-mini NQ and Micro E-mini MNQ), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (E-mini YM and Micro E-mini MYM) and the Russell 2000 (E-mini RTY and Micro E-mini M2K). Micro contracts are smaller-size versions of the same index futures, allowing smaller position sizing.

Session context

US index futures have defined regular trading sessions referenced in Chicago time, with exchange holiday and schedule caveats. Trading hours change, so always confirm the current schedule on the official exchange source. See the CME equity-index session guide for context.

Source note

Contract specifications, multipliers, tick sizes and trading hours change over time. Confirm every current term on the official CME Group pages linked on this page before acting on the information.