The question
What does a point mean in dollars?
- NQ is $20 per index point; MNQ is $2.
- Both trade in increments of 0.25 points.
- Margin is not a limit on your potential loss.
Confirm the contract.
NQ is the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract; MNQ is its Micro E-mini counterpart. Both track Nasdaq-100 exposure, with contract expirations and leverage. A continuous chart is a constructed series, not the specific contract your broker necessarily trades.
Check the instrument, expiration, and current liquidity in your own platform. A research alert does not select or place a broker order for you.
Using the research with CME and CFD brokers.
The service can be used with both CME futures brokers and Nasdaq CFD brokers. CME futures use NQ and MNQ; broker CFD symbols may include NAS100, US100 or similar names. Research alerts use an NQ or MNQ reference instrument. The service does not connect to either type of broker or place trades.
A Nasdaq CFD is a broker-specific product, not a CME futures contract. Cash-index and futures-based CFDs can quote different prices from the research reference. Check the basis difference before interpreting entry, SL and TP; do not copy futures prices blindly onto a different instrument.
Confirm your broker’s symbol, underlying reference, value per point, lot size, account currency, spread, financing, trading hours and order rules. CME’s $20/$2 point values do not apply to CFD lots. Availability and trading permissions depend on your broker and location.
Keep points, ticks, and dollars separate.
A point is an index-price change. A tick is the minimum increment. Quantity multiplies the dollar exposure, and costs affect the result.
| Per contract | NQ | MNQ |
|---|---|---|
| One point | $20 | $2 |
| One tick | 0.25 points / $5 | 0.25 points / $0.50 |
| 20-point move | $400 | $40 |
A smaller contract still carries risk.
MNQ offers smaller increments of exposure. It does not make a strategy profitable or guarantee a stop price. Broker margin requirements can change, and losses can exceed the amount initially committed.
Use your own account circumstances, risk limits, and current broker requirements when considering quantity. If even one contract is unsuitable, standing aside remains an option.
Identify what the chart actually represents.
Futures expire. A continuous symbol joins data from successive contracts and may apply adjustments to past prices. A research level shown on one constructed series may not match an unadjusted expiry chart exactly.
Before comparing a chart with an alert or a historical test, check the contract month, data source, adjustment method, and session settings. Do not silently combine NQ and MNQ cash results; each contract has its own point value and execution costs.
Sources & further reading
Consult the original exchange or platform documentation for current specifications, schedules, and simulation behavior. These sources do not validate our strategies.