MGC: Micro Gold
Everything that decides whether MGC fits a funded account: tick value, point value, margin, sessions, which prop firms offer it, and how many contracts the drawdown buffer actually supports at each account size.
MGC contract specifications
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Micro Gold |
| Tick size | 0.10 (10 cents) |
| Tick value | $1.00 |
| Point value | $10.00 |
| Contract size | 10 troy ounces, 1/10 of GC |
| Day-trading margin | ~$50 intraday at prop firms; CME initial margin around $675 |
| Sessions | Sunday 5:00 PM – Friday 4:00 PM CT on COMEX, with a daily maintenance halt |
| Prop firms | Every major futures prop firm except Apex, which suspended all metals in early 2026 with no return date |
How many contracts fit each prop account size
| Account | Drawdown buffer | Contracts | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,000–$1,500 | 1 | At $10 per point a 50-point move is $500 — half the buffer on a single contract. |
| 50K | $2,000–$2,500 | 1–3 | Three contracts move $30 per point. Gold's range makes this the practical ceiling. |
| 100K | $3,000–$3,500 | 2–4 | Comparable risk to 4–8 MNQ but with a very different intraday character. |
| 150K | $4,500–$5,000 | 3–4 | Beyond four, GC full-size becomes the cleaner choice for single-exit strategies. |
The buffer decides the size, not the contract cap. Firms commonly permit 15 minis or 150 micros on a 150K account — far above what the drawdown floor supports. Run the arithmetic on the sizing checker or the position size calculator.
What this means for a systematic strategy
MGC pays $10 per point against MNQ's $2, so the same nominal stop costs five times more. That single ratio decides most of the sizing on a gold strategy: where MNQ tolerates four to eight contracts on a 50K account, MGC tolerates one to three.
The second difference is behavioural. Gold trends in extended, low-noise moves and then gaps on macro releases; Nasdaq is noisier intraday but more mean-reverting. A strategy that needs range to work fits MGC. A strategy built on tight stops and frequent entries fits MNQ. Apex is not an option for gold — all metals have been suspended there since early 2026.
Related
- All instruments compared
- Best instrument by prop account size
- MNQ vs MGC for prop accounts
- Rules cards for every firm
FAQ
How much is one MGC point worth?
$10.00 per point, or $1.00 per tick (one tick is 0.10, ten cents). MGC represents 10 troy ounces, one tenth of the full GC contract.
Which prop firms allow gold trading?
All major futures firms except Apex, which suspended metals entirely in early 2026. On the forex side, FTMO and FundingPips offer XAUUSD as the CFD equivalent.
MNQ or MGC on a 50K account?
MNQ suits tight-stop, high-frequency strategies (four contracts at $8 per point). MGC suits strategies that need range (one to three contracts at $10 per point). The drawdown buffer is the same; the instrument character is not.
Contract specifications verified September 2026 against CME Group and current futures specification trackers. Prop firm availability cross-checked against the rules cards. Margins vary by broker and rise during volatility; confirm before trading.