R multiple calculator
See each trade as a multiple of the risk you took. Enter your entry, initial stop and exit and get the result in R. No sign-up.
Type the direction, your entry, your initial stop loss and the price where you closed, and the calculator shows the result as a multiple of the amount you risked. Add the planned target to see the reward you were aiming for in the same unit, and the amount you risked in money to see the result in money. The example values are a gold (XAUUSD) buy with a five dollar stop and a twelve and a half dollar gain.
What an R multiple is
An R multiple measures a trade in units of its own risk. One R is the distance from your entry to your initial stop loss, in money or in price. A trade that makes twice the distance it risked is +2R. A trade stopped out exactly at the stop is -1R. A trade that slips past the stop and loses one and a half times what you planned is -1.5R. Because the unit is the risk itself, a $20 win on a small position and a $200 win on a large one can both be +2R, which makes them comparable in a way that dollars are not.
The formula
| Direction | 1R (risk distance) | R multiple |
|---|---|---|
| Buy (long) | entry - stop loss | (exit - entry) / (entry - stop loss) |
| Sell (short) | stop loss - entry | (entry - exit) / (stop loss - entry) |
Take the default example: a buy at 2350.00 with a stop at 2345.00 risks 5.00 of price, so 1R = 5.00. Closing at 2362.50 gained 12.50, and 12.50 / 5.00 = +2.5R. If you had risked $100 on the trade, the result is 2.5 x $100 = +$250. The same trade closed at the stop is -1R, or -$100.
Use the initial stop, not the one you ended with
By convention 1R comes from the stop you had when you entered. If you later move the stop to breakeven or trail it, the original R does not change, otherwise a trade that you protected would look like it risked nothing. Record the initial stop in your journal when you enter, and the R of every trade can be calculated from the entry, the exit and that one number. MetaTrader 5 keeps the stop loss that was set on a position, so check that the figure you use is the original one.
Why traders use R
- Comparable trades. Different lot sizes, different instruments and different stop distances all become one scale.
- An honest average. The average R of your trades is your expectancy in R, a better summary of your edge than the win rate. See the expectancy calculator.
- A check on discipline. A distribution of results that stops at -1R means you honour your stops. Results of -2R and -3R show where you did not.
- A fair goal. A planned target of +2R or +3R is a statement about reward to risk that you can compare with the result you actually got.
Reading a list of R results (hypothetical)
| Trade | Result in R | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2.1R | Close to a planned 2R target. Good execution. |
| 2 | -1.0R | Stopped out at the plan. A normal loss. |
| 3 | -1.0R | Stopped out again. Check the setup, not the stop. |
| 4 | +0.4R | Exited early. Did you follow the plan? |
| 5 | -1.8R | Slipped past the stop, or the stop was moved. This is the one to study. |
| 6 | +3.0R | A runner. Compare with trade 4: same setup, different exit. |
| Total | +2.7R | Average +0.45R per trade over six trades |
The figures are invented to show how to read a list. Six trades prove nothing, and a real average needs many more. What the list does show quickly is that trade 5 cost more than a normal loss, and that trade 4 left money on the table compared with trade 6.
Putting R in your journal
To calculate R for every trade, your journal needs the entry, the initial stop and the exit, and ideally the amount you risked. AI Trading Journal saves the entry price, the exit price and the stop loss and take profit that were set on every closed position, together with the net result, and writes them into the Trades sheet of the Excel report. A risk amount and an R multiple column are part of the free MT5 journal template, so you can fill the risk amount in yourself and let the sheet divide. The notes and screenshots page shows where to write the plan for each trade.
Limits of this calculator
- It works in price, so use the same price scale for all four fields. It does not convert pips or lots.
- It ignores spread, commission and swap. If you want a net R, subtract costs from the result in money before you divide by the risk.
- It uses a single exit. For a position closed in parts, calculate each part, or use the average exit price.
- It does not predict anything and is not trading or investment advice.
To size a trade so that 1R is a fixed percentage of your account, use the position size calculator. To check the reward you plan against the risk before you enter, use the risk reward calculator. To see how many winners you need at your payoff, use the breakeven win rate calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What does +2R mean?
How do I calculate R for a short trade?
Does moving my stop change the R multiple?
What is a good average R?
Can I use pips instead of price?
Related guides
- Free position size calculator (forex and gold)
- Free risk to reward calculator
- Free drawdown recovery calculator
- Free trading expectancy calculator
- Free forex and gold profit and loss calculator
- Free margin calculator for forex and gold
- Free trading compounding calculator
- Free losing streak calculator
- Prop firm drawdown calculator (daily and maximum loss)
- Prop firm risk calculator: how many losing trades until the limit
- All trading journal comparisons
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