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TRADING #101 COURSE – PART II TWO: SUCCESSFUL TRADING PIE – WWW.TRADERSCOACH.COM

Futures Symbology

Futures contracts are identified with symbols and codes that are different from, say,
stocks. These codes and symbols consist of three parts:
1. Instrument—root symbol.
2. Contract month.
3. Contract year.
These symbols are constantly changing as time passes; the only part of the symbol that
is a constant is the root symbol. When looking at a futures contract code or symbol, the
contract month is represented by an alpha code, and you will need to know which
months are represented by which alpha codes.
See Table 10.5 for a list of alpha codes for each month from January to December. For
example, January is represented by the letter F and December is represented by the
letter Z.

Example: This Futures Contract Code below represents a S&P E-mini contract for June
2017.
ES / M / 17

Root Symbol – S&P E-mini / Contract Month June / Contract Year 2017

Table 10.5 Alpha Codes for Each Month of the Year for a Futures Contract

Futures Contract Alpha
Month Code
January F

February G
March H

April J
May K
June M

July N
August Q
September U

October V
November X
December Z

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