MT5 hedged margin: what you are charged when you lock a position

Opposite positions in one symbol can need less margin or the same margin twice, depending on your broker. Learn how to check and what a hedge costs.

On a hedging account in MetaTrader 5 you can hold a buy and a sell on the same symbol at the same time. A natural question follows: does the broker charge full margin on both? The answer depends on the broker’s margin rules and on the symbol, and it is one of the reasons two accounts with the same leverage can show different free margin when the same positions are open. This page explains how hedged margin is usually described, how to find the rule that applies to your account, what to check before relying on a hedge, and what a journal can and cannot tell you about it.

Locked positions and what they are

A locked or hedged position is a pair of opposite positions in the same symbol. If the buy and the sell have the same volume, the net exposure to price is zero, which is why traders call it a lock. The two positions remain separate until you close them, so the account still shows two rows and two sets of costs. The way that history is recorded is explained in hedging versus netting, and a related tool that closes the pair against each other is described in close by.

How margin on a hedge is handled

Brokers choose how to calculate margin for opposite positions in the same symbol. In MetaTrader 5 the symbol specification contains a margin calculation mode and, for many instruments, a hedged margin value. Common outcomes are that the broker charges margin on the larger side only, that it charges a reduced amount on the overlapping volume, or that it charges the full amount on both sides. The exact label and numbers are in the symbol window for each instrument, as explained in the symbol specification. Do not assume that a rule that holds for forex also holds for an index or a metal at the same broker.

Which row applies is a broker decision, so the table is a way to organise your questions, not a statement about any particular company.

Where to look in your own terminal

• Open the symbol specification and read the margin calculation and hedged margin entries.
• Compare the margin shown in the Trade tab before and after opening the opposite position; the difference tells you what your broker actually charged.
• Read the broker’s account terms for any statement about locked positions, since some brokers restrict them or close them under certain conditions.
• Remember that the figures in the platform use the account currency, so currency conversion can move them slightly; see profit currency versus account currency.

Why a hedge is not free

Even when the margin is reduced, a hedge has costs. You pay the spread on both legs, any commission on both, and swap on both positions while they stay open. Because swap is charged per position, a locked pair held across the rollover can lose money every night even though the price exposure is flat. The rules for those charges are in how swap works and, for the midweek multiple, triple swap on Wednesday. A hedge also does not remove the margin level risk completely, because margin level uses equity and used margin together, as shown in the margin level guide.

A worked example (hypothetical)

Suppose a position of one lot on a symbol needs 1,000 in margin on an account with 5,000 of equity. The trader opens an equal sell to lock it. If the broker charges the larger side only, used margin stays at 1,000 and margin level is 500 percent. If the broker charges both sides, used margin becomes 2,000 and the margin level is 250 percent. Nothing about the price changed, yet the buffer before a margin call is half as large. These figures are invented, and your broker’s rule decides which case applies, so test with a small volume on a demo account first and read the numbers yourself.

What a journal can show

AI Trading Journal, a Windows app for MetaTrader 5 only, reads closed positions from your account history. It records the result of each position and does not record the margin that was held while it was open, nor the floating profit of open trades. On a hedging account a locked pair therefore appears as two separate entries with their own results, costs and swap, and you can add a note that they were a pair. The app is read-only and never places, modifies or closes a trade, and the journal is a file on your own PC.

Limits and cautions

• Margin rules for locked positions differ by broker, account type and symbol.
• A hedge does not guarantee protection; costs and swap continue and margin can still be tight.
• The page is about reading platform data and is not trading advice.
• Confirm every number in your own terminal before relying on it.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• A local trading journal for MT5
• P&L calendar for MT5
• Trade notes, ratings and screenshots
• Trading progress and goals
• Back up your journal and move it to a new PC
• An offline trading journal for Windows
• How to set monthly trading goals
• Import your whole MT5 history
• How to tag trades
• Trade screenshots for your journal
• All trading journal comparisons