# Futures contract month codes

> Futures contract months are written as single letters: F January, G February, H March, J April, K May, M June, N July, Q August, U September, V October, X November and Z December. A symbol joins the product code, the month code and the year, so ESZ26 is the E-mini S&P 500 contract that expires in December 2026.

**Source:** https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-contract-month-codes  
**Generated:** 2026-09-19  
**Publisher:** Prop Firm Pal — independent prop firm comparison

_Prop Firm Pal earns affiliate commission from some listed firms. This is disclosed on-site and does not affect the computed ranking order._

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_Facts checked 2026-09-15._

## The twelve month codes

The letters are the same across every exchange and every product. They skip letters that could be confused with numbers or with each other.

| Code | Month | Code | Month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| F | January | N | July |
| G | February | Q | August |
| H | March | U | September |
| J | April | V | October |
| K | May | X | November |
| M | June | Z | December |

## Reading a futures symbol

A full symbol is the product code, then the month code, then the year. Platforms show the year as one or two digits: NQM6 and NQM26 both mean the E-mini Nasdaq-100 contract expiring in June 2026. CLF27 is crude oil for January 2027, and GCQ26 is gold for August 2026.

## Which months each contract trades

Equity index futures (ES, NQ, YM, RTY and their micros) list quarterly contracts only: March (H), June (M), September (U) and December (Z). Each expires on the third Friday of its month.

Crude oil lists a contract for every month. Gold lists many months, but trading concentrates in February (G), April (J), June (M), August (Q), October (V) and December (Z).

## Rolling to the next contract

Volume moves from the expiring contract to the next one in the days before expiry; for equity index futures this roll happens about a week before the third Friday. The contract with the most volume is called the front month. Most platforms, including those prop firms provide, can show a continuous chart that switches contracts automatically, but orders are always placed in a specific month.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Z mean in futures?

Z is the month code for December.

### What does H mean in futures?

H is the month code for March.

### What is the front month in futures?

The front month is the contract closest to expiry that most traders are trading, usually the one with the highest volume.

### When do ES and NQ futures expire?

E-mini S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures expire on the third Friday of March, June, September and December.

## Related pages

- [Futures trading hours](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-trading-hours)
- [Futures tick values](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-tick-values)
- [Micro vs mini futures](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/micro-vs-mini-futures)
- [Futures in the glossary](https://propfirmpal.com/glossary/futures)
- [Futures trading hours](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-trading-hours) — markdown: https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-trading-hours.md
- [Micro vs mini futures](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/micro-vs-mini-futures) — markdown: https://propfirmpal.com/learn/micro-vs-mini-futures.md
- [Futures tick values](https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-tick-values) — markdown: https://propfirmpal.com/learn/futures-tick-values.md