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 - base asset code consisting of 2 characters
- М - futures execution month, consisting of 1 character
- Y - the year of execution of the futures, 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 field M - futures execution month, encoded by the following symbols:
Month | Futures code
- January - F
- February - G
- March - H
- April - J
- May - K
- June - M
- July - N
- August - 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 hardest to remember futures code field 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 the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- AU (AUDU) - Australian dollar-US dollar pair exchange rate (AUD/USD)
- ED (ED) - Euro-dollar pair exchange rate (EUR/USD)
- Eu (Eu) - Euro-ruble pair exchange rate (EUR/RUB)
- GU (GBPU) - Pound Sterling - U.S. Dollar (GBP/USD) rate
- Si (Si) - The dollar-ruble pair rate (USD/RUB)
Commodity futures
Base asset code in the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- BR (BR) - futures on "BRENT" oil
- CU (CU) - Grade A copper futures
- DZ - diesel fuel L-0,2-62 (GOST 305-82)
- GD (GOLD) - futures on refined gold bullion
- PD (PLD) - refined palladium bullion futures
- PT (PLT) - futures on refined platinum bars
- UR (UR) - futures on "URALS" oil
Agrofutures
Base asset code in the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- SU (SUGA) - futures for granulated sugar made in accordance with GOST 21-94
- SA (SUGR) - raw sugar futures
Index futures
Base asset code in the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- MX (MISEX) - futures on the MICEX index
- Rc (RTScr) - futures on RTS index (Consumer Goods & Retail)
- RI (RTSI) - futures on the RTS index
- Rk (RTSt) - futures on RTS index (Telecommunications)
- Ro (RTSog) - futures on RTS index (Oil & Gas)
- RS (RTSSTD) - futures on the RTS Standard Index
Stock futures
Base asset code in the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- CH (CHMF) - ordinary shares OAO Severstal
- FS (FEES) - ordinary shares of FGC UES
- GM (GMKR) - shares of MMC Norilsk Nickel
- GZ (GAZP) - shares of Gazprom
- HY (HYDR) - ordinary shares of JSC RusHydro
- LK (LKOH) - shares of NK LUKoil
- MT (MTSI) - ordinary shares of MTS OJSC
- NK (NOTK) - ordinary shares of 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 Rostelecom
- SG (SNGSP) - preferred shares OJSC "Surgutneftegas"
- SP (SBERP) - preferred shares of OJSC Sberbank of Russia
- SR (SBER) - ordinary shares of OJSC Sberbank of Russia
- TN (TRNFP) - Transneft preferred shares
- TT (TATN) - ordinary shares of OAO Tatneft
- UI (URSI) - ordinary shares of OJSC "Uralsvyazinform
- UK (URKA) - ordinary shares of OJSC Uralkali
- VB (VTBR) - ordinary shares of JSC VTB Bank
Futures on money market instruments
Base asset code in the "C" field
(code of the underlying asset on the main RTS market)
- underlying asset name
- MP (MOPR) - futures contract on MosPrime three-month loan rateThe MosPrime three-month loan rate
- O2 (OFZ2) is a "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) - futures on "ten-year" federal loan bonds
- O15 (OF15) - futures on "fifteen-year" federal loan bonds
Example of futures code decoding
Code "OF15-3.13" means that the "fifteen-year" federal loan bond futures contract is due in March 2013.
We have not presented all possible variants of the futures traded on the Moscow Exchange - markets change, contracts change, too. The full list is always available on the Exchange's website.