What is contract size?

Contract size is the number of underlying units represented by one futures contract. For example, a standard crude oil futures contract covers 1,000 barrels. The contract size multiplies your price move to produce your dollar P&L.

How is the gross P&L calculated?

For a long position: P&L = (Exit Price − Entry Price) × Contract Size × Number of Contracts. For a short position the formula is reversed: (Entry Price − Exit Price) × Contract Size × Number of Contracts. A negative result means a loss.

What is return on margin?

Return on margin = Gross P&L ÷ (Initial Margin per Contract × Number of Contracts) × 100. It shows how efficiently your posted margin generated profit or loss, which is more meaningful than raw dollar P&L alone because futures are leveraged instruments.

Does this calculator include commissions or fees?

No. This tool calculates raw price-move P&L only. Subtract round-trip commissions and exchange fees from the gross P&L to get your net profit.

Can I use this for cryptocurrency perpetual futures?

Yes. Enter the contract size in coins or USD notional per contract as defined by your exchange, then proceed normally.

What if I traded a fractional number of contracts?

The calculator accepts decimals in all fields, so you can enter 0.5 contracts for micro or mini contracts that represent half a standard contract.

Futures Profit Calculator

Enter your entry price, exit price, contract size, and number of contracts to instantly calculate futures P&L and return on margin.

Position Details

Position Direction

Entry Price

Exit Price

Contract Size (units per contract)

Number of Contracts

Initial Margin per Contract (optional)

Fill in the details and click Calculate to see your P&L.

Common Contract Sizes

Crude Oil (CL)1,000 bbl

Natural Gas (NG)10,000 MMBtu

Gold (GC)100 troy oz

Silver (SI)5,000 troy oz

E-mini S&P 500 (ES)$50 × index

Micro E-mini S&P (MES)$5 × index

Corn (ZC)5,000 bu

Euro FX (6E)125,000 EUR

Summary

The Futures Profit Calculator lets traders quickly compute gross profit or loss on any futures position. Enter the entry and exit prices, the contract size (units per contract), and how many contracts you traded to see total P&L broken down per contract and as a return on initial margin. The tool supports both long and short positions and handles any asset class — commodities, equity index futures, currency futures, and more.

How it works

Select your position direction: Long (buy first) or Short (sell first).
Enter the entry price at which you opened the position.
Enter the exit price at which you closed (or plan to close) the position.
Enter the contract size — the number of underlying units per contract (e.g. 1,000 barrels for crude oil).
Enter the number of contracts traded.
Optionally enter the initial margin per contract to see your return on margin.
The calculator instantly displays gross P&L, per-contract profit, and return on margin.

Use cases

Estimate profit or loss before closing a crude oil or natural gas futures position.
Plan trade size by simulating different contract counts.
Compare long vs. short scenarios for the same price move.
Calculate return on margin to evaluate leverage efficiency.
Back-test a historical trade entry and exit to verify your P&L.
Quickly check breakeven exit price needed to cover commissions.
Teach futures mechanics in finance courses with live numbers.
Analyze equity index futures exposure for portfolio hedging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-05 · Reviewed by Nham Vu