Futures Rollover Dates
| Contract | Symbol | Recommended Roll | Official Rollover | Last Trading Day |
|---|
Rollover Guidelines:
• Recommended Roll: 2-3 trading days before official rollover for optimal liquidity
• Official Rollover: When volume typically shifts to the new contract
• Last Trading Day: Final day the expiring contract trades
Contract Cycles:
• Equities (ES, NQ, RTY, YM): Quarterly - March, June, September, December
• Gold (GC): Bi-monthly - February, April, June, August, October, December
• Silver & Copper (SI, HG): Bi-monthly - March, May, July, September, December
• Energy (CL, NG, RB, HO): Monthly
• Bonds (ZB, ZN, ZF, ZT): Quarterly - March, June, September, December
• Currencies (6E, 6J, 6B, 6A, 6C, DX): Quarterly - March, June, September, December
• Grains (ZC, ZW): March, May, July, September, December
• Soybeans (ZS): January, March, May, July, August, September, November
• Crypto (BTC): Monthly
Always check with your broker for specific rollover requirements.
Dates marked as "OVERDUE" have passed within the last week.
Last Trading Day
The final day you can trade that contract. After this, it expires and ceases to exist.
Official Rollover Date
When exchanges shift volume tracking from the expiring contract to the next month. Most data providers and charting platforms also switch which contract they consider the "front month."
Recommended Roll Date
When smart traders make the switch - 2-3 trading days before the official rollover. Why roll early?
- Liquidity is still strong in both contracts
- Tighter bid-ask spreads = less slippage
- Avoid the rush of everyone rolling at once
The Danger Zone
Between official rollover and last trading day, the expiring contract loses volume fast - wider spreads, worse fills, and erratic price movement.
Understanding Contract Month Names
Energy and Metals contracts are named by their DELIVERY month, not their expiration month.
For example, CLG6 is the "February 2026" crude oil contract, but it actually expires on January 21, 2026. The "February" refers to when physical delivery would occur if you held to settlement.
This applies to: CL, NG, RB, HO (Energy) and GC, SI, HG (Metals)
Equities, Bonds, Currencies, and Grains generally expire within their named contract month.