CL (Crude Oil Futures)
NYMEX futures on West Texas Intermediate crude oil. 1,000 barrels per contract, $0.01/barrel tick, physically delivered at Cushing, Oklahoma.
P&L = (Exit − Entry) × $1,000 [in $/barrel terms]
CL is the benchmark light sweet crude oil futures contract traded on NYMEX (CME Group). Each contract represents 1,000 barrels of WTI crude delivered at Cushing, Oklahoma.
- Contract size: 1,000 barrels
- Tick size: $0.01/barrel → $10/tick
- Point value: $1,000/point (i.e., per $1/barrel move)
- Settlement: Physical delivery (traders must roll before FND)
- Trading hours: Sunday–Friday 6 PM–5 PM ET on Globex
- Micro equivalent: MCL (100 barrels, $1/tick)
CL is one of the most volatile and closely followed commodity futures — heavily influenced by OPEC decisions, US inventory data (EIA weekly report), geopolitics, and global demand forecasts.
On the desk
Crude trades at $80/barrel. One CL contract notional = $80,000. A $1 move (100 ticks) = $1,000/contract. A typical day range of $1.50 = $1,500/contract. Compare MCL: same $1 move = $100.
