{"id":259499,"date":"2026-10-22T10:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T14:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ibkrcampus.com\/campus\/?p=259499"},"modified":"2026-10-22T11:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T15:00:37","slug":"trading-futures-with-ibridgepy-es-mes-and-nq-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.com\/campus\/ibkr-quant-news\/trading-futures-with-ibridgepy-es-mes-and-nq-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Trading Futures with IBridgePy: ES, MES, and NQ Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The article “Trading Futures with IBridgePy: ES, MES, and NQ Complete Guide” was originally published on IBridgePy<\/a> blog.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The author of this article and the open-source package IBridgePy are not affiliated with Interactive Brokers. IBridgePy is not endorsed or approved by Interactive Brokers or any of its affiliates. The software is provided without any warranty and should not be used for actual trading unless the user can read and understand its source code. The IBKR API team does not support this software.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Trade Futures with Python?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Futures contracts like ES (S&P 500 E-mini), MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500), and NQ (Nasdaq 100 E-mini) are among the most liquid instruments in the world. With IBridgePy<\/a>, you can automate futures trading strategies using Python and execute them through Interactive Brokers<\/a> with just a few lines of code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining Futures Contracts in IBridgePy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike stocks, futures require additional parameters: the expiry date and the exchange. IBridgePy uses superSymbol()<\/code> to define futures contracts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

# Define an ES futures contract (December 2026 expiry)\nes_contract = superSymbol(secType='FUT', symbol='ES', currency='USD',\n                          exchange='CME', expiry='20261218')\n\n# Define an MES micro futures contract\nmes_contract = superSymbol(secType='FUT', symbol='MES', currency='USD',\n                           exchange='CME', expiry='20261218')\n\n# Define an NQ futures contract\nnq_contract = superSymbol(secType='FUT', symbol='NQ', currency='USD',\n                          exchange='CME', expiry='20261218')<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The expiry<\/code> parameter uses the format YYYYMMDD and should match the contract expiration date on the CME.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Placing Futures Orders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Once you have defined the contract, placing orders works the same as with stocks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
def handle_data(context, data):\n    mes = superSymbol(secType='FUT', symbol='MES', currency='USD',\n                      exchange='CME', expiry='20261218')\n\n    # Buy 1 MES contract at market\n    order_id = order(mes, 1)\n    order_status_monitor(order_id, 'Filled', waitingTimeInSeconds=30)\n\n    fill_price = get_order(order_id).avgFillPrice\n    print(f'Bought 1 MES at {fill_price}')<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Understanding cost_basis for Futures Positions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A critical difference between stocks and futures in IBridgePy is how get_position().cost_basis<\/code> works. For futures, Interactive Brokers returns the dollar-multiplied value<\/strong>, not the raw price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contract<\/th>Multiplier<\/th>Fill Price<\/th>cost_basis Value<\/th><\/tr>
MES<\/td>$5<\/td>5,400<\/td>27,000<\/td><\/tr>
ES<\/td>$50<\/td>5,400<\/td>270,000<\/td><\/tr>
MNQ<\/td>$2<\/td>19,500<\/td>39,000<\/td><\/tr>
NQ<\/td>$20<\/td>19,500<\/td>390,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
To convert cost_basis<\/code> back to the actual entry price, divide by the multiplier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
# Get entry price for MES position\nmes_position = get_position(mes_contract)\nentry_price = mes_position.cost_basis \/ 5  # MES multiplier is 5\nprint(f'MES entry price: {entry_price}')\n\n# For ES\nes_position = get_position(es_contract)\nes_entry = es_position.cost_basis \/ 50  # ES multiplier is 50<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Example: MES with Stop Loss and Profit Target<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The third-party code below is not investment or trading advice, and is for proof-of-concept, educational, and illustrative purposes only. IBKR makes no representations or warranty regarding its accuracy or completeness. Users are solely responsible for conducting their own independent testing and due diligence before applying any code or concepts in a live or production environment<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
def initialize(context):\n    context.mes = superSymbol(secType='FUT', symbol='MES', currency='USD',\n                              exchange='CME', expiry='20261218')\n    context.in_position = False\n\ndef handle_data(context, data):\n    if not context.in_position:\n        # Enter long position\n        order_id = order(context.mes, 1)\n        order_status_monitor(order_id, 'Filled', waitingTimeInSeconds=30)\n\n        # Use avgFillPrice for precise stop\/target levels\n        fill_price = get_order(order_id).avgFillPrice\n\n        # Place bracket: 20-point stop, 40-point target\n        stop_price = fill_price - 20\n        target_price = fill_price + 40\n\n        order(context.mes, -1, style=StopOrder(stop_price))\n        order(context.mes, -1, style=LimitOrder(target_price))\n\n        context.in_position = True\n        print(f'Entry: {fill_price} | Stop: {stop_price} | Target: {target_price}')<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Important Tips for Futures Trading with IBridgePy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n