XAUUSD profit calculator
Enter the lot size and the entry and exit prices of a gold trade. See what a $1 move is worth and the net result after commission and swap. No sign-up.
Enter the lot size, the entry and exit prices, and the direction of a gold trade to see the price move, what a $1 move is worth at that size, the result before costs and the net result after commission and swap. The starting values are invented: a buy of 0.50 lots at 2,650.00 closed at 2,662.40, with $3.50 commission and -$1.20 swap.
How gold profit is calculated
For XAUUSD the result is simple once you know the contract size. On most MetaTrader 5 brokers one standard lot of gold is 100 troy ounces, and the price is quoted in dollars per ounce. The profit of a buy is (exit price - entry price) x lots x 100. For a sell, reverse the sign. With the example, the move is 12.40 dollars per ounce and the position holds 50 ounces, so the result is 12.40 x 50 = $620.00 before costs, and $615.30 after $3.50 commission and a $1.20 swap debit.
Some brokers use a different contract size, such as 10 or 1 ounces per lot, and some quote in a different account currency, so the calculator lets you change the number of ounces. Read the specification of the symbol in your own terminal (Market Watch, right-click, Specification) and use the value shown there.
What a $1 move is worth
| Lots | Ounces held (at 100 oz per lot) | Value of a $1 move | Value of a $0.10 move |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.01 | 1 | $1.00 | $0.10 |
| 0.05 | 5 | $5.00 | $0.50 |
| 0.10 | 10 | $10.00 | $1.00 |
| 0.50 | 50 | $50.00 | $5.00 |
| 1.00 | 100 | $100.00 | $10.00 |
| 2.00 | 200 | $200.00 | $20.00 |
This table is the shortcut most gold traders use. A stop 5 dollars away on 0.20 lots risks 5 x $20 = $100, before costs and slippage. The position size calculator turns a risk amount and a stop distance into a lot size for gold and forex. The profit and loss calculator handles forex pairs as well.
Pips, points and dollars on gold: avoid the confusion
Gold is where traders most often disagree about what a pip is. Many gold quotes have two decimals, such as 2650.55. The smallest price step, the point, is then 0.01. Some brokers and educators call 0.10 a pip, others call 0.01 a pip, and others call a full dollar a pip. The only unambiguous measure is dollars per ounce, which is why this calculator uses it. If your broker talks about points, translate them: with a 0.01 point, a stop of 500 points is 5 dollars of price.
- Say it in dollars. Write “stop 5.00 dollars” in your plan and your journal, not “50 pips”.
- Check the digits. A symbol with three decimals changes the size of a point by a factor of ten.
- Check the contract size. Cent accounts and some brokers differ.
Costs that change the answer
- Spread. You buy at the ask and sell at the bid. Gold spreads can be wide at the open and around news, so the real entry may be a few tenths of a dollar worse than the chart price. See MT5 trading costs in the trade history.
- Commission. If your account has one, it is charged per lot, often on both the opening and the closing deal. Enter the total.
- Swap. Gold is typically charged per night held, with a triple charge on one day of the week. See MT5 swap explained.
- Slippage. Fast markets fill away from your price. The calculator cannot know it. Use the real fill prices from your history.
A second worked example: a short trade (hypothetical)
A trader sells 0.20 lots at 2,671.80 and the position is closed on the take profit at 2,664.30. The price fell 7.50 dollars, which favours a short. The position holds 20 ounces, so the result before costs is 7.50 x 20 = $150.00. After $1.40 commission and a -$0.60 swap the net is $148.00 (150.00 - 1.40 - 0.60). Had the price risen 7.50 instead, the same trade would have lost $150.00 plus the costs. The numbers are made up, and gold prices in real life are different.
Using the number in your journal
A profit calculator is for planning. The record that matters is what actually closed. AI Trading Journal reads each closed gold position from your MetaTrader 5 history and records the net result, profit plus commission plus swap, so you can compare the number you planned with the number you got. Over a month the gap between them is a measure of your execution: slippage, early exits and costs. The gold trading journal guide lists what to log on gold trades, and the gold trading journal template gives you the columns.
Limits of this calculator
- It assumes a USD account. If your account is in another currency, the broker converts the dollar result at its own rate.
- It uses the lot size and prices you enter, and does not check them against your account or your broker’s contract specification.
- It does not know about slippage, partial closes, hedged positions or margin.
- It is not trading or investment advice and does not predict anything.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate profit on XAUUSD?
How many ounces is one lot of gold in MT5?
What is a $1 move worth on 0.01 lots of gold?
What is a pip in gold?
Does the calculator include swap and commission?
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