How to Calculate Leverage in Forex 1:500 and 1:100 Leverage Ratio
How Leverage Increases Forex Trading Profits and Loses?
If you have a 1,000 dollar Forex trading account with leverage 100:1 you can buy a maximum of 1 lot which is equal to 100,000 dollars Forex contract(1 Standard lot).
If you have a 1,000 dollar Forex trading account with leverage 500:1 you can buy a maximum of 5 lots which is equal to 500,000 dollars Forex contract(5 Standard lots).
Let us calculate Forex profits and losses based on two examples of used leverage, based on $1,000 forex account:
NB: This is the Leverage used not the Maximum leverage, If a Forex broker gives you 500:1 leverage, but you only trade 1 lot the used leverage you are using is 100:1, But if you trade 5 contracts then the leverage you will use is 500:1 which is equal to Maximum leverage (500:1).
So the example referred in this below is talking of the leverage used based on the volume of the trade that you have opened.
Example 1: (500:1 Leverage or 5 Lots)
For 1 lot 1 pip equals $ 10
If you make a profit of 100 pips the calculation of profit in dollars is:
5 lots
1 pip = $50
100 pips = 100 * 50 = $5,000
Total= balance + profit
= 1000+ 5000
= $6,000 you have just doubled your trading account balance six times
If you make a loss of 15 pips the loss in dollars is
5 lots
1 pip = $50
15 pips = 15 * 50 = $750
Total= account balance - loss
Total= 1000 - 750
Total = $ 250 you have just lost 75% of your trading account balance
Example 2: ( 100:1 Forex Trading Leverage )
For 1 lot 1 pip equals $ 10
If you make a profit of 100 pips the calculation of profit in dollars is:
1 lot
1 pip = $10
100 pips = 100 * 10 = $1000
Total= balance + profit
= 1000+ 1000
= $2,000 you have just doubled your trading account balance
If you make a loss of 15 pips the loss in dollars is
1 lot
1 pip = $10
15 pips = 15 * 10 = $150
Total= account balance - loss
Total= 1000 - 150
Total = $ 850 you have just lost 15% of your trading account balance
From the above example you can see that the more leverage you use greater the profits or losses and less you use the lesser the profit or losses.
It is therefore better to use less leverage so that to minimize the risks involved. The higher the leverage used the higher the risk. This is one of the Forex leverage rules not to trade with more than 5:1 leverage.
In Forex leverage rules: It is always advisable to stay below 10:1 which is still high, most professional money managers use 2:1 meaning they trade only 2 lots for every $100,000 in their Forex trading account.
To Learn More about Forex Leverage and Margin - Read the Topics Below:
Forex Leverage and Margin Described
