British Pound Futures (6B) Contract Specifications
What you're trading
The British Pound future (6B) gives you exposure to the GBP/USD exchange rate — quoted as U.S. dollars per one British pound, matching market convention. 6B is used to hedge sterling-denominated assets, trade Bank of England policy (particularly around Bank Rate decisions and UK inflation data), and express views on UK-specific fiscal events and UK economic data. Sterling has historically been one of the more volatile G10 currencies in headline risk episodes, which makes 6B useful for both hedging and event-driven speculation.
Contract size
£62,500.
Tick value
Minimum price fluctuation is $0.0001 per British pound (1 pip), and each tick is worth $6.25 per contract. A full 1-cent (100-pip) move in GBP/USD equals $625 per contract.
Trading hours
CME Globex: Sunday 5:00 p.m. CT through Friday 4:00 p.m. CT, with the 4:00–5:00 p.m. CT maintenance halt Monday through Thursday. 6B is most liquid during the overlap of London and New York sessions.
Settlement type
Physically delivered (GBP for USD) via CLS Bank. Contract months are all 12 calendar months plus quarterly. Trading terminates at 9:16 a.m. CT on the second business day immediately preceding the third Wednesday of the contract month.
Margin snapshot
6B margin reflects GBP's elevated realized volatility relative to some other G10 pairs, especially around BOE meetings and UK fiscal events.
|
Initial margin (overnight) |
~$2,200–$3,200 per contract (approximate; varies with volatility) |
|
Maintenance margin |
~$2,000–$2,910 per contract |
|
Day-trade margin |
Broker-set; often a fraction of overnight margin |
|
Notional value (reference) |
~$79,000 at GBP/USD 1.27 |
Margins change with market volatility and vary by broker. The figures above are approximate and for reference only — always confirm current requirements with MetroTrade support or on the CME margin page before trading.