Futures Symbology

What is futures symbology?

Futures symbols are comprised of three elements:

  • Symbol root 
  • Expiration month 
  • Expiration year 

There can be many active futures symbols to trade for a single market, with different expiration months and years.

What defines a futures trading symbol?

A typical futures symbol at NinjaTrader may look like this: ES SEP23, where ES is the symbol root, SEP represents the expiration month (September), and 23 represents the expiration year (2023).

  • Symbol root:
    Generally established by the futures exchange, the symbol root consists of one or more characters (letters and numbers) that identify the exact futures contract to trade. Examples include crude oil (CL), gold (GC), and E-Mini S&P 500 (ES).

  • Contract month:
    This three-letter code indicates the expiration month: January (JAN), February (FEB), March (MAR), April (APR), May (MAY), June (JUN), July (JUL), August (AUG), September (SEP), October (OCT), November (NOV), and December (DEC). The exact day of the month that a contract expires can vary for each futures market.

  • Contract year:
    This two-number digit represents the expiration year, where 23 would refer to 2023.

Examples of futures trading symbols

Below are examples of some popular contract symbols for futures products traded by NinjaTrader users.

  • MES MAR24: Micro E-mini expiring March 2024 
  • CL JUN24: Crude oil expiring June 2024 
  • ZN SEP24: 10-Year Treasury notes expiring September 2024 
  • GC DEC24: Gold expiring December 2024 

View supported product symbols for contracts supported at NinjaTrader Brokerage.

So you want to be a trader?

Develop The Trader In You

Get started on your path to learning how to trade futures through our introductory video series that introduces the basics and key takeaways for your journey.

Watch Now

Practice futures trading with our free simulator

Trading can be stressful when you have real money on the lineso be prepared for the real-world trading environment when you join it. Sharpen your trading skills and test your ideas risk-free in a simulated trading environment featuring live streaming market data.

Get Started