propfirmkey/cme-futures-contract-specifications

CME Group Futures Contract Specifications & Risk Parameters

A comprehensive reference dataset of futures contract specifications and risk parameters covering 55+ contracts across equities, energy, metals, agriculture, currencies, interest rates, livestock, volatility, and cryptocurrency sectors.

Designed as structured input for risk models, position sizing algorithms, backtesting engines, and margin optimization systems.

Description

This dataset consolidates publicly available contract specifications and margin requirements for major futures contracts traded on CME Group exchanges (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX) and select ICE/CFE contracts. Each record contains the mechanical parameters needed to correctly model a futures position: tick size, tick value, contract multiplier, trading hours, settlement method, and representative margin levels.

The data is curated for direct consumption by quantitative systems that need to translate signal-level decisions into properly sized, margin-aware positions.

Data Sources

All contract specifications are derived from official exchange documentation:

• CME Group — Contract specification pages at cmegroup.com for ES, NQ, CL, GC, ZB, 6E, and all other CME/CBOT/NYMEX/COMEX products
• ICE Futures — Contract specs for CT, KC, SB, CC
• Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE) — VX (VIX futures) specifications

Margin requirements reflect CME Group performance bond requirements and are representative values. Actual margins are set by clearing firms and may differ.

Schema

futures_contracts.csv

Column	Type	Description
symbol	string	Standard futures ticker symbol
name	string	Full contract name
exchange	string	Listing exchange (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX, ICE, CFE)
sector	string	Asset class grouping
tick_size	float	Minimum price increment
tick_value_usd	float	Dollar value of one tick move
contract_size	string	Notional multiplier or deliverable quantity
trading_hours_ct	string	Regular trading hours in U.S. Central Time
last_trading_day	string	Rule for determining the last trading day
settlement_type	string	Cash or Physical delivery
currency	string	Contract denomination currency
typical_daily_range_ticks	int	Representative daily range in ticks (approximate)
typical_margin_usd	int	Representative initial margin in USD

margin_requirements.csv

Column	Type	Description
symbol	string	Standard futures ticker symbol (joins to futures_contracts)
name	string	Full contract name
initial_margin_usd	int	Exchange initial (performance bond) margin
maintenance_margin_usd	int	Exchange maintenance margin
day_trade_margin_usd	int	Reduced intraday margin (broker-dependent)
exchange	string	Listing exchange
last_updated	date	Date margins were last verified
notes	string	Contextual notes on margin behavior

Use Cases

Position Sizing

Calculate maximum position size given account equity and risk tolerance:

max_contracts = floor(account_equity * risk_pct / (tick_value * stop_distance_ticks))

Risk Calculation

Compute dollar risk per contract using tick value and typical daily range:

daily_risk_per_contract = tick_value_usd * typical_daily_range_ticks

Backtesting

Map raw price changes to PnL using contract-specific tick sizes and multipliers. Handle settlement type differences (cash vs. physical) for roll logic.

Margin Optimization

Model portfolio-level margin requirements. Identify margin-efficient alternatives (e.g., MES vs. ES, MCL vs. CL) and cross-margining opportunities within the same exchange.

Cross-Asset Volatility Normalization

Normalize position sizes across asset classes by converting typical daily ranges to common dollar-risk units, enabling apples-to-apples comparison of signals from different sectors.

Update Frequency

Margin requirements are updated periodically to reflect exchange changes. Contract specifications are stable but should be verified against exchange sources before production use. The last_updated field in margin_requirements.csv indicates when margins were last reviewed.

Limitations

• Margin values are representative. Actual margins are set by individual clearing firms (FCMs) and may be higher than exchange minimums. Day trade margins are particularly variable across brokers.
• Typical daily ranges are approximate. They represent normal market conditions and will be significantly exceeded during high-volatility events (FOMC, NFP, geopolitical shocks).
• Trading hours may change. Exchanges periodically adjust hours for holidays and special events. Always verify against the exchange calendar.
• Not all contracts are included. This dataset covers the most actively traded contracts. Thinly traded or regional contracts are excluded.
• No intraday data. This is a static reference dataset, not a time series. For dynamic margin monitoring, connect to exchange APIs.
• ICE and CFE contracts are included for completeness but represent a small subset of those exchanges' full product offerings.

Citation

If you use this dataset in research or production systems, please cite:

@dataset{futures_risk_parameters_2026,
  title={CME Group Futures Contract Specifications & Risk Parameters},
  year={2026},
  publisher={Hugging Face},
  url={https://huggingface.co/datasets/futures-risk-parameters}
}

License

MIT

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