E-mini Russell 2000 Futures (RTY) Contract Specifications
What you're trading
The E-mini Russell 2000 future (RTY) tracks the Russell 2000 Index, a capitalization-weighted index of approximately 2,000 small-cap U.S. companies drawn from the broader Russell 3000. Because small-caps are more domestically focused and more sensitive to U.S. economic cycles, RTY is often used to express views on domestic U.S. growth, credit conditions, and risk-on/risk-off sentiment separate from the large-cap-heavy S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100.
Contract size
$50 × Russell 2000 Index. With the index near 2,400, one RTY contract carries a notional value of roughly $120,000 — the smallest notional of the four standard E-mini equity index contracts.
Tick value
Minimum price fluctuation is 0.10 index points, and each tick is worth $5.00 per contract. A full 1-point move equals $50, and a 10-point move equals $500 per contract. RTY has a finer tick than ES or NQ (0.10 vs. 0.25 points).
Trading hours
CME Globex: Sunday 5:00 p.m. CT through Friday 4:00 p.m. CT, with a daily maintenance halt from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT Monday through Thursday.
Settlement type
Cash-settled. Contracts expire quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, settling to the opening value of the Russell 2000 Index on expiration day. No physical delivery.
Margin snapshot
RTY margin tends to be lower than ES or NQ in absolute dollar terms, but small-caps can see sharp moves, so maintenance requirements can shift quickly during volatile periods.
|
Initial margin (overnight) |
~$7,500–$9,000 per contract (approximate; varies with volatility) |
|
Maintenance margin |
~$6,800–$8,200 per contract |
|
Day-trade margin |
Broker-set; often a fraction of overnight margin |
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Notional value (reference) |
~$120,000 at index 2,400 |
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.