license: mit
tags:
- futures
- risk-management
- quantitative-finance
- algorithmic-trading
- market-data
- cme-group
- derivatives
- financial-engineering
pretty_name: CME Group Futures Contract Specifications & Risk Parameters
size_categories:
- n<1K
task_categories:
- tabular-regression
- tabular-classification
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
Maintained by PropFirmKey.com