A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell an asset at a fixed price on a specific date in the future.
Unlike our Commodities products (such as XAUUSD, UKOUSD, and USOUSD), which have no expiration date, Futures contracts expire monthly.
Commodities (CFD)
✅ No expiry date
✅ Hold as long as you want
Examples: XAUUSD, UKOUSD, USOUSD
Futures
📅 Expires monthly
📅 Close Only mode starts 1 week before expiry
Examples: GC, UKOIL, USOIL
Available Futures Contracts
MH Markets offers Gold and Oil Futures for Standard, ECN, and PRIME accounts. For example:
- Gold Futures (GC), which provides access to one of the world's most actively traded precious metals markets.
- Brent Crude Oil Futures (UKOIL), offering exposure to the global Brent crude benchmark.
- WTI Futures (USOIL), covering the WTI crude oil market.
| Product | Symbol Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Futures | GCF6 | Gold, January 2026 |
| Brent Crude Oil Futures | UKOILQ6 | UK Oil, August 2026 |
| WTI Futures | USOILQ6 | US Oil, August 2026 |
Contract Naming Convention
Symbols follow the format: [Product] + [Contract Month Code] + [Contract Year].
The month codes are as follows:
| Month | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | F | July | N |
| February | G | August | Q |
| March | H | September | U |
| April | J | October | V |
| May | K | November | X |
| June | M | December | Z |
The expiry date may not match the contract month in the symbol or the official exchange date. Expiry is determined based on liquidity provider schedules, rollover procedures, and risk management considerations. Always check the actual expiry date in MetaTrader or on the Contract Specifications page before trading.
Contract Specifications
| Gold Futures (GC) | Brent Crude Oil Futures (UKOIL) | WTI Futures (USOIL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Size | 100 troy ounces | 1,000 Barrels | 1,000 Barrels |
| Leverage | Fixed 1:50 | Fixed 1:100 | Fixed 1:100 |
| Max Volume | 50 lots | 50 lots | 50 lots |
| Min Volume | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Digits | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Key Things to Know Before You Trade
Futures contracts expire monthly. You must be aware of the expiry date and take action before it arrives.
ANYTIME
1. How to Check the Expiry Date
Expiry dates change every month. To check the current expiry date, open MetaTrader, right-click the symbol in Market Watch, and select Specification.
The expiry date is displayed at the top of the window (e.g., USOILQ6, WTI Futures – Expiry: July 2026).
1 WEEK BEFORE EXPIRY
2. Close Only Mode Begins
During this period:
- Opening new Buy or Sell positions will not be permitted.
- Existing positions may only be reduced or closed.
EMAIL NOTIFICATION
3. We Will Remind You
If you hold an open position on a contract approaching expiry, MH Markets will send you a reminder email on the last trading day to either close your position or roll over to the next available contract.