Lean Hog Futures Contract Specifications (HE)
Livestock futures settle against a physical animal or carcass specification. The contract quantity is large relative to the tick, so single-tick moves are meaningful in dollar terms.
Specifications
| Contract unit | 40,000 lbs |
| Exchange | CME |
| Symbol | HE |
| Tick size | 0.00025 |
| Tick value | $10 |
| Point value | $40,000 |
| Delivery months | G,J,K,M,N,Q,V,Z |
| Sector | Meats |
| Quote currency | $ |
Margin is not listed here on purpose — the exchange revises it and every broker adds its own buffer. Check your broker's platform for the live figure. Use the margin calculator to estimate what a position will tie up.
Doing the tick math
One tick is 0.00025 in the quoted price, which is $10 per contract. A move of one full point (1.00 in the quoted price) is worth $40,000, so there are 4,000 ticks in a point. Get those two numbers wrong and every risk calculation downstream is wrong, which is the point of the tick value guide.
Enter your own prices in the tick value and P/L calculator to see the dollar result for this contract without doing the arithmetic by hand.
Delivery months
G,J,K,M,N,Q,V,Z — February, April, May, June, July, August, October, December. Liquidity concentrates in the nearest active month; open interest migrates over a few weeks before expiry, which is what the roll mechanics guide walks through.
What one tick is worth at different position sizes
The per-tick figure scales linearly, which is the part most traders get wrong when they add contracts without re-checking risk.
| Position | Value of 1 tick | Value of 10 ticks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 contract | $10 | $100 |
| 2 contracts | $20 | $200 |
| 5 contracts | $50 | $500 |
| 10 contracts | $100 | $1,000 |
Ten ticks on a HE contract is a move of 0.00025 × 10 in the quoted price. If you want the P/L for a specific entry and exit rather than a tick multiple, put the prices into the tick value calculator.
Converting your stop into a dollar risk
Stops are set in price terms but risk is booked in dollars. Multiply the stop distance in ticks by the tick value — and then add commission, which is charged per contract per side and is not in the numbers below.
| Stop distance | 1 contract | 5 contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ticks | $50 | $250 |
| 10 ticks | $100 | $500 |
| 20 ticks | $200 | $1,000 |
| 40 ticks | $400 | $2,000 |
On a 40,000 lbs contract, a 20-tick stop at one contract ties up $200 of risk before costs. At five contracts it is $1,000. This is why position size should follow the stop, not the other way round — the arithmetic is laid out in choosing a futures contract.
How margin is set on Lean Hog futures
Margin is not a property of the contract spec — it is a risk parameter the exchange recalculates periodically and that your broker then marks up. Two consequences follow:
- The figure moves when volatility moves, so a margin number copied from a blog post is usually stale.
- Two brokers can require different amounts for the same HE contract.
What is fixed by the spec is the notional exposure: 40,000 lbs multiplied by the price. Margin is a percentage of that notional, which is why a higher price or a wider exchange buffer raises the cash requirement without the contract itself changing. The margin calculator takes your broker's number and converts it into "how many contracts can I hold"; the mechanics are in how futures margin works.
Where these numbers come from
Contract unit, tick size and delivery months are taken from the contract specifications published by CME. Exchanges occasionally change tick sizes and listing months, so before relying on this page for a live position, check the current spec sheet on the exchange's own product page or on your broker's platform. This page was last rebuilt on 15 November 2026.
What moves Lean Hog prices
- The production cycle — herd size and breeding decisions set supply years ahead
- Feed costs — grain prices feed directly into the cost of gain
- Slaughter and carcass weights — near-term supply indicators
- Export demand — a large share of production clears through export channels
This is context, not a recommendation. Nothing here tells you which way the market is going.
More meats contracts
- Live Cattle (LE) — 40,000 lbs, $10 per tick
- Feeder Cattle (GF) — 50,000 lbs, $12.50 per tick
Full list: all 135 contract specifications. Sizing maths: tick value calculator, margin calculator.
Frequently asked
What is the contract size of Lean Hog futures?
One HE contract represents 40,000 lbs. Every tick value and point value on this page follows from that quantity.
How much is one tick worth in HE futures?
One tick is a price move of 0.00025, worth $10 per contract. A full point move (1.00 in the quoted price) is worth $40,000.
Which delivery months does HE trade?
G,J,K,M,N,Q,V,Z — February, April, May, June, July, August, October, December. The front month carries most of the liquidity and open interest migrates a few weeks before expiry.