TICK VALUE & P&L MECHANICS
Plain English
Every futures contract moves in 'ticks' — the smallest price increment — each worth a fixed dollar amount. Knowing tick values cold is foundational; trading without knowing them is trading blind.
Going deeper
ES (S&P 500): 0.25 point tick = $12.50. NQ (Nasdaq): 0.25 point = $5. CL (crude oil): $0.01 = $10. GC (gold): $0.10 = $10. ZN (10-year): 1/64 = $15.625. Multiply ticks moved by tick value by contract count to get P&L. Tick value differs by market and contract; always verify on the exchange's contract spec page. Mental math: 'how many ticks am I risking and what's the dollar?' should happen before every entry. Confusing tick values is one of the fastest ways to over-leverage.
Examples
ES dollar move
Long 2 ES at 5,200, stop at 5,196. That's 16 ticks × $12.50 × 2 = $400 risk. Target at 5,212 = 48 ticks × $12.50 × 2 = $1,200. Risk-reward 3:1.
Crude leverage shock
Long 1 CL at $80, oil drops $2 in 30 minutes. That's 200 ticks × $10 = $2,000 loss on a single contract. Without knowing tick value, traders mis-size and blow accounts.