Euro Stoxx 50 Futures
EUREX:FESX1!
Key Statistics
About Euro Stoxx 50 Futures
By Liveworldmarket Editorial Team · Last reviewed 6 July 2026
EURO STOXX 50 Futures (FESX) — A Practical Guide
EURO STOXX 50 Futures (Eurex ticker FESX) are the most-traded equity-index futures contract in continental Europe and one of the deepest equity-index futures globally. The contract is sized at €10 × EURO STOXX 50 index, making one contract worth roughly €50,000 notional. FESX trades nearly 24 hours on Eurex Globex and provides extended-hours price discovery for European equity sentiment.
FESX is the primary hedge for European-equity portfolios. Daily volumes routinely exceed 1 million contracts. The contract is also actively used by global macro traders to express Eurozone-vs-US growth differential views.
History & contract origins
FESX launched on Eurex (the German-Swiss derivatives exchange) on 22 June 1998 — months before the euro currency's official launch in January 1999. The contract was designed as the primary derivative for the new pan-Eurozone benchmark and grew rapidly to become Eurex's largest contract by open interest.
Trading hours & session layout
Eurex FESX has unique extended hours (IST):
| Pre-market | 05:30 IST |
| European cash overlap | 13:30 - 21:30 IST |
| Extended after-hours close | 02:00 IST next day |
| Weekly close | Friday 02:00 IST Saturday |
Holiday calendar (typical annual closures)
Listed below are the major scheduled closures for the underlying exchange. Exact dates shift year-to-year — always verify against the exchange's official calendar before holding overnight positions across a holiday boundary.
| Holiday | Typical date |
|---|---|
| Eurex bank holidays | (New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve) |
How to read this tape
Read FESX during the European cash overlap (13:30-21:30 IST) for the cleanest signal. Movements during Asian hours (05:30-12:00 IST) are typically thin and reflect overnight US factors more than European fundamentals.
FESX vs. S&P 500 spread is a popular pairs trade — Europe-vs-US equity outperformance / underperformance is captured cleanly through this ratio.
Frequently asked questions
Why is FESX so liquid?
Because EURO STOXX 50 is the dominant Eurozone equity benchmark and FESX is the natural hedging vehicle for European pension funds, asset managers and corporate treasuries.
How is FESX different from FDAX?
FDAX tracks German DAX 40 only. FESX tracks pan-Eurozone EURO STOXX 50 (mostly French + German + Dutch + Italian + Spanish). FESX is broader; FDAX is Germany-specific.
Does FESX have weekly options?
Yes — Eurex lists weekly options on FESX with Friday expiries. These are increasingly active among European retail and systematic traders.
Can Indian residents trade FESX?
Indirectly via LRS route through European brokers with Eurex access. Most retail Indian exposure to Eurozone equities is via ETFs (FEZ on NYSE, SX5S.L on London).
Related markets
Editorial article. Information only — not investment advice. Read our Risk Disclaimer before acting on any market data shown here.