MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures)
The Micro E-mini Dow Jones futures contract — exactly one-tenth the size of YM, tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average with $0.50 per index point and $0.50 per tick. Smallest dollar exposure of any major US index futures contract.
What is MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures)?
MYM is the symbol for the Micro E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures contract, traded on CBOT (CME Group). It is the micro-sized version of YM, with all specifications exactly one-tenth of the standard contract: $0.50 per index point (vs YM’s $5), 1 index point tick size (same as YM), $0.50 per tick. Notional value at Dow 40,000 is $20,000 per contract (vs YM’s $200,000).
MYM launched in 2019 alongside the rest of the CME Micro family. It is the smallest dollar-exposure index futures contract available to retail traders. For context: a 100-point Dow move (typical 30-minute range) produces $50 of P&L per MYM contract, vs $500 on YM, vs $5,000 on a 5-MES position (covering similar S&P notional). MYM is the contract for traders who want exposure to Dow blue-chips with minimum dollar swings.
The same logic that applies to MES vs ES applies to MYM vs YM: identical price action (same underlying index), identical trading hours, identical liquidity pattern — just smaller multiplier. A trader running 10 MYM contracts has the same notional exposure as 1 YM, with the benefit of being able to scale 1-2-3 contracts up. MYM is structurally the smallest position-sizing unit in the US index futures complex.
How MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures) works
MYM contract specifications (May 2026):
- Symbol: MYM (sometimes MYM1! or @MYM)
- Exchange: CBOT Globex (CME Group)
- Underlying: Dow Jones Industrial Average (same index as YM)
- Multiplier: $0.50 per index point (1/10 of YM’s $5)
- Tick size: 1 index point (whole-point, same as YM — NOT fractional like ES/NQ)
- Tick value: $0.50 per tick
- Contract months: March (H), June (M), September (U), December (Z)
- Trading hours: Sunday 6:00 PM ET to Friday 5:00 PM ET, with daily 1-hour break
- RTH: 9:30 AM-4:00 PM ET
- Settlement: Cash settled
- Last trading day: Third Friday of contract month
Margin requirements:
- Day-trading margin: $50 per contract at most prop firms (1/10 of YM’s $500)
- Initial margin (CBOT exchange minimum): ~$850 (1/10 of YM)
- Notional value: $0.50 × current index level (~$20,000 at Dow 40,000)
Liquidity: MYM daily volume is roughly 30,000-60,000 contracts during active sessions — thinner than MES (600k-1M) and MNQ (400k-700k) due to lower overall Dow futures interest vs S&P/Nasdaq. Typical bid-ask spread is 1 tick (1 point = $0.50) during RTH, occasionally 2 ticks during overnight or low-volume periods.
Position-size limits at prop firms ($50K accounts, May 2026):
- Apex $50K: Up to 50 MYM contracts max
- TPT $50K: Up to 50 MYM
- Tradeify $50K: Up to 50 MYM
- Lucid $50K: Up to 50 MYM
When to choose MYM over YM: (1) ultra-small account sizing ($25K-$50K), (2) Dow-specific exposure (blue-chip 30 vs broader S&P 500), (3) diversifying micro index positions across MES + MNQ + MYM + M2K, (4) testing Dow-based strategies before scaling up. MYM is typically the smallest dollar-exposure leg in a diversified micro index basket.
Worked example
Setup: Apex $50K trader runs a 4-leg micro index basket: 5 MES + 3 MNQ + 4 MYM + 4 M2K. Strategy: morning range breakouts on each contract independently, half-position to trend continuation, half scalped at structural levels.
MYM-specific allocation:
- Position: 4 MYM contracts long from Dow 40,000 on a NY Open breakout
- Stop: Dow 39,920 (80-point stop = 4 × 80 × $0.50 = $160 risk)
- Target: Dow 40,200 (200-point target = 4 × 200 × $0.50 = $400 reward)
- R:R = 2.5:1
Outcome — breakout sustains:
- Dow rallies to 40,200 by 11:15 AM ET. Target hit.
- MYM P&L: +$400
- Commission (4 contracts round-trip): ~$10
- Net MYM contribution to the basket: +$390
Comparison vs same trade on YM:
- Same trade on 4 YM (full size): 200 points × $5 × 4 = +$4,000 reward / 80 points × $5 × 4 = -$1,600 risk
- 10x bigger dollar P&L for identical price movement, but 10x bigger drawdown impact when wrong
- For a $50K account, the YM version is structurally over-leveraged on a single position; the MYM version fits cleanly within a diversified basket
How firms handle MYM basket trades: Apex/TPT/Tradeify all treat the 4-leg micro basket as 16 contracts for position-limit purposes (well under the 50-contract limit). Drawdown calculations sum the dollar P&L across all legs in real time — no per-contract limit considerations beyond the overall account drawdown.
MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures) vs related concepts
Side-by-side comparison of MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures) against the most commonly confused alternatives.
| Concept | Definition | Category |
|---|---|---|
| MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures) this term | The Micro E-mini Dow Jones futures contract — exactly one-tenth the size of YM, tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average with $0.50 per index point and $0.50 per tick. Smallest dollar exposure of any major US index futures contract. | Specific Contracts |
| YM (E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures) | The E-mini Dow Jones futures contract — tracks the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average with $5 per point and $5 per 1-tick. Lower-volatility cousin of ES. | Specific Contracts |
| ES (E-mini S&P 500 Futures) | The E-mini S&P 500 futures contract — the most actively traded equity index future in the world, tracking the S&P 500 index with $50 per point and $12.50 per 0.25-tick. | Specific Contracts |
| MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500 Futures) | The Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures contract — exactly one-tenth the size of ES, tracking the S&P 500 index with $5 per point and $1.25 per 0.25-tick. The most popular contract for new and small-account traders. | Specific Contracts |
| MNQ (Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures) | The Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract — exactly one-tenth the size of NQ, tracking the Nasdaq-100 index with $2 per point and $0.50 per 0.25-tick. | Specific Contracts |
| M2K (Micro E-mini Russell 2000 Futures) | The Micro E-mini Russell 2000 futures contract — exactly one-tenth the size of RTY, tracking the small-cap Russell 2000 index with $5 per index point and $0.50 per tick. Most volatile US index micro on a percentage basis. | Specific Contracts |
Why traders fail MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures)
Trading 10 MYM “to spread risk” vs 1 YM. 10 MYM is identical exposure to 1 YM — same dollar P&L per tick, same total risk. The diversification benefit is granularity (you can scale 1-2-3 contracts up), NOT actual risk reduction.
Using ES-sized stops on MYM. A 5-tick MYM stop is $2.50; trader using $10-equivalent stops creates stops in 20-tick (20-point) territory — typical Dow noise can move 20 points in 60 seconds during open. Right-size stops to the tick value: 80-150 point stops are typical for swing-style MYM entries.
Underestimating MYM liquidity gaps. MYM volume drops 60-80% outside RTH. Overnight stops on MYM may experience 2-3 tick slippage during low-volume periods. For overnight holds, size down or use bracket orders with stop-limit instead of stop-market.
Not using MYM as a portfolio diversifier. Most prop firm traders default to MES + MNQ. Adding MYM (Dow-specific) provides genuine sector diversification — blue-chip 30 vs broader S&P 500 vs tech-heavy Nasdaq 100. Even small MYM positions hedge against tech-sector concentration risk in MNQ-heavy strategies.
Frequently asked questions about MYM (Micro E-mini Dow Futures)
What is MYM futures?
MYM is the symbol for the Micro E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures contract, traded on CBOT (CME Group). It tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average at $0.50 per index point with 1-point tick size ($0.50 per tick) — exactly one-tenth the size of the standard YM contract. MYM is the smallest dollar-exposure index futures contract available.
How is MYM different from YM?
Same exact price action (both track the Dow Jones Industrial Average), same trading hours, same expiration cycle — just one-tenth the dollar multiplier. A 100-point Dow move produces $50 of P&L per MYM vs $500 per YM. MYM is for traders who want Dow exposure with smaller dollar swings per contract.
What is the tick value of MYM?
MYM tick value is $0.50. The tick size is 1 index point (whole-point, NOT fractional like ES/NQ which trade in 0.25-point increments). At $0.50 per index point with 1-point ticks, every tick equals $0.50 of P&L per contract.
What is the day-trading margin for MYM?
Day-trading margin at most futures prop firms is $50 per MYM contract (matching MES and most other micros). CBOT initial margin (for retail brokers, not prop firms) is approximately $850 per contract. The $50 prop firm margin lets traders run multiple MYM contracts on small account sizes.
Which prop firms allow MYM trading?
All major futures prop firms support MYM trading — Apex, TPT, Tradeify, Lucid, FundedNext, Phidias, and others. It is part of the standard CME Globex micro index family available on every futures-only prop firm platform.
Is MYM worth trading or should I just use MES?
MYM is worth trading when you specifically want Dow exposure (blue-chip 30 stocks) rather than broader S&P 500 exposure, or when diversifying a micro basket across MES + MNQ + MYM + M2K for sector spread. For pure index-following with maximum liquidity, MES is the better default choice.