Dec 15, 2020 · When it comes to trading U.S. stock market derivatives, the E-mini S&P 500 is the industry standard. Featuring consistent market depth and volatility, E-mini S&P futures are a premier way of engaging the American equities markets. The CME’s lineup of E-mini products provides traders with a way to customize their exposure to U.S. stocks. The E-mini S&P is the most popular futures contract within the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). Compared to the S&P 500, the E-mini is one-fifth the size. Other electronically traded contracts and markets cannot match the E-mini in terms of liquidity and inexpensiveness to trade. Additionally, E-mini is a short-term investment. The S&P 500 E-mini Futures Market has traded for over 17 Years. The E-Mini contract was launched in September 1997 to attract non-professional investors into trading index futures. The CME did this by making the contract 1/5th the size of the standard S&P500 futures contract, therefore, requiring only 1/5th the margin to trade.