Skip to content
English
MetroTrade.com
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Gold Futures (GC) Contract Specifications

What you're trading

The COMEX Gold future (GC) is the world's most liquid gold contract and the primary benchmark for gold pricing. Each contract gives you exposure to 100 troy ounces of 0.995-fineness gold with physical delivery through COMEX-approved vaults. GC is used by miners and jewelers to hedge physical exposure, by central banks and asset managers to manage gold reserves, and by speculators to trade views on inflation, real interest rates, the U.S. dollar, and safe-haven demand around geopolitical stress.

Contract size

100 troy ounces of gold. 

Tick value

Minimum price fluctuation is $0.10 per troy ounce, and each tick is worth $10.00 per contract. A $1.00 move in the per-ounce price equals $100 per contract, and a $10 move equals $1,000 per contract.

Trading hours

CME Globex: Sunday 5:00 p.m. CT through Friday 4:00 p.m. CT, with a 60-minute maintenance halt from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT Monday through Thursday. Gold typically sees concentrated activity during London and New York cash hours.

Settlement type

Physically delivered. Active delivery months are February, April, June, August, October, and December. Trading terminates on the third-last business day of the delivery month. Open positions at expiration require physical delivery of gold via COMEX-approved vaults — most speculative traders roll or close before last trading day.

Margin snapshot

Gold margin responds to realized volatility and can shift around major central bank announcements, CPI releases, and geopolitical events.

Initial margin (overnight)

~$14,000–$18,000 per contract (approximate; varies with volatility)

Maintenance margin

~$12,700–$16,400 per contract

Day-trade margin

Broker-set; often a fraction of overnight margin

Notional value (reference)

~$330,000 at $3,300/oz

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.

Related learning