RTS-MICEX: futures codes on the futures market
It is not uncommon for a trader who encounters trading for the first time futures on the Moscow Exchange (MICEX-RTS), gets lost in the contract specifications. Specific alphanumeric designations of codes are quite simple and it is not difficult to remember them, but it is required to understand them.
Appearance of codes on futures
Futures code consists of three main elements:
- С - 2-character underlying asset code
- М - futures execution month, consisting of 1 character
- Y - the year of futures execution, consisting of 1 character
We'll talk about the underlying asset code on the futures later, but let's deal with the dates right away.
Field M (month of execution) of the futures code
So, the M field is the month of futures execution and is encoded with the following symbols:
Month | Futures code
- January -. F
- February -. G
- March is. H
- April - J
- May -. K
- June -. M
- July -. N
- August is. Q
- September -. U
- October -. V
- November -. X
- December -. Z
ForTrader.org magazine reminds us that every futures contract has an expiration date. About the month when it expires, i.e. occurs expirationWe talked about above.
Field Y (year of execution) of the futures code
It is even simpler with the futures contract year field. It is a single digit duplicating the last digit of the year, i.e.
- 5 - 2005,
- 8 - 2008,
- 0 - 2010,
- 3 - 2013.
Field C (underlying asset) of the futures code
The most difficult to remember field of the futures code is the asset code itself. We specifically offer you a breakdown by asset type to make it easier to find the right one.
Currency futures
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- AU (AUDU) - Australian Dollar - US Dollar (AUD/USD) exchange rate
- ED (ED) - Euro-dollar (EUR/USD) exchange rate
- Eu (Eu) - Euro-Ruble (EUR/RUB) exchange rate
- GU (GBPU) - Pound Sterling - US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate
- Si (Si) - Dollar-Ruble (USD/RUB) exchange rate
Commodity futures
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- BR (BR) - BRENT crude oil futures
- CU (CU) - Grade A copper futures
- DZ - L-0.2-62 grade diesel fuel (GOST 305-82)
- GD (GOLD) - futures on refined gold in bars
- PD (PLD) - refined palladium bullion futures
- PT (PLT) - futures on refined platinum in bars
- UR (UR) - URALS crude oil futures
Agrofutures
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- SU (SUGA) - futures for granulated sugar produced in accordance with GOST 21-94
- SA (SUGR) - raw sugar futures
Index futures
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- MX (MISEX) - MICEX index futures
- Rc (RTScr) - futures on the RTS index (Consumer Goods and Retail)
- RI (RTSI) - futures on the RTS index
- Rk (RTSt) - futures on the RTS index (Telecommunications)
- Ro (RTSog) - futures on RTS index (Oil and Gas)
- RS (RTSSTD) - futures on RTS Standard index
Stock futures
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- CH (CHMF) - ordinary shares OAO Severstal
- FS (FEES) - ordinary shares of JSC FGC UES
- GM (GMKR) - shares of MMC Norilsk Nickel
- GZ (GAZP) - shares of OAO Gazprom
- HY (HYDR) - ordinary shares of JSC RusHydro
- LK (LKOH) - LUKoil shares
- MT (MTSI) - ordinary shares of MTS OJSC
- NK (NOTK) - ordinary shares of OAO NOVATEK
- OC (OGKC) - ordinary shares of JSC OGK-3
- OD (OGKD) - ordinary shares of JSC OGK-4
- PZ (PLZL) - ordinary shares of OJSC Polyus Gold
- RN (ROSN) - Rosneft shares
- RT (RTKM) - shares of OJSC Rostelecom
- SG (SNGSP) - preferred shares OJSC Surgutneftegaz
- SP (SBERP) - preferred shares of Sberbank of Russia OJSC
- SR (SBER) - ordinary shares of Sberbank of Russia OJSC
- TN (TRNFP) - preferred shares of OJSC Transneft
- TT (TATN) - ordinary shares of OAO Tatneft
- UI (URSI) - ordinary shares of Uralsvyazinform OJSC
- UK (URKA) - ordinary shares of OJSC Uralkali
- VB (VTBR) - ordinary shares of VTB Bank OJSC
Futures on money market instruments
Base asset code in field "C"
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- MP (MOPR) - a futures contract on the three-month MosPrime loan rateThe three-month MosPrime loan rate.
- O2 (OFZ2) - "two-year" futures bonds federal loan
- O4 (OFZ4) - futures on "four-year" federal loan bonds
- O6 (OFZ6) - futures on "six-year" federal loan bonds
- O10 (OF10) - "ten-year" federal loan bond futures
- O15 (OF15) - futures on "fifteen-year" federal loan bonds
Example of futures code decoding
Code "OF15-3.13" means that the futures contract for "fifteen-year" federal loan notes is due in March 2013.
We have not presented all possible variants of futures traded on the Moscow Exchange - markets change and contracts change as well. You can always consult the full list on the Exchange's website.