Gold & Indices Lot Size Calculator
A gold and indices lot size calculator tells you how many lots to trade so that, if your stop loss is hit, you lose the amount you chose to risk. Choose the instrument, check the contract size against your broker's specification, then enter your balance, risk percentage and stop distance in price.
How to use the gold and indices lot size calculator
- Choose the instrument. The contract size and currency are filled in with common values.
- Open the symbol specification on your trading platform and correct the contract size if your broker uses a different one.
- Choose your account currency. If it differs from the instrument's currency, enter the current conversion rate.
- Enter your account balance, the percentage you are willing to risk and the stop-loss distance in price (dollars per ounce for gold, points for an index).
- Read the lot size, rounded down to your broker's lot step so the real risk does not exceed your target.
How is lot size calculated for gold and indices?
The contract size is how many units one lot represents: ounces for gold and silver, and for many index CFDs the money value of a one-point move. Contract size multiplied by the conversion rate is the value of a 1.00 price move on one lot in your account currency. The conversion rate is 1 when the instrument and the account use the same currency.
Gold (XAU/USD)
Assumptions: USD account, balance $10,000, risk 1% ($100), stop $5.00 below entry, contract size 100 ounces per lot, lot step 0.01.
A $1.00 move is worth $100 per lot. $100 ÷ ($5.00 × 100) = 0.20 lots.
Nasdaq 100 (NAS100)
Assumptions: USD account, risk $100, stop 80 points, contract worth $1 per point per lot, lot step 0.01.
$100 ÷ (80 × $1) = 1.25 lots.
DAX (GER40) from a USD account
Assumptions: USD account, risk $100, stop 40 points, contract worth €1 per point per lot, EUR/USD 1.10 (example rate), lot step 0.01.
One point is worth $1.10 per lot. $100 ÷ (40 × $1.10) ≈ 2.2727 lots, rounded down to 2.27 lots.
Gold lot size for a $500 to $25,000 account
With 1% risk, a $5.00 stop, a 100-ounce contract and a 0.01 lot step (USD account):
| Account balance | Risk (1%) | Lot size |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | $5 | 0.01 lots |
| $1,000 | $10 | 0.02 lots |
| $5,000 | $50 | 0.10 lots |
| $10,000 | $100 | 0.20 lots |
| $25,000 | $250 | 0.50 lots |
The $5.00 stop is only an example. A wider stop gives a smaller position for the same risk, so a stop wide enough for gold's daily moves can leave a small account at the minimum lot.
Why contract size changes everything
One lot of EUR/USD is 100,000 euros at almost every broker, but one lot of gold or an index is whatever the broker defines it to be. The values below are common starting points, not a standard:
| Instrument | Common contract size per lot | A 1.00 move on 1 lot |
|---|---|---|
| Gold (XAU/USD) | 100 ounces | $100 |
| Silver (XAG/USD) | 5,000 ounces | $5,000 |
| US30, NAS100, US500 | 1 per point (some brokers use 10 or 0.1) | $1 per point |
| GER40 | 1 per point | €1 per point |
| UK100 | 1 per point | £1 per point |
Using the wrong contract size can make a position ten or a hundred times larger than intended. Check the specification before the first trade on any new instrument or account.
Why this calculator uses price distance, not pips
For currency pairs a pip has a fixed size. For gold, platforms and traders use the word differently: some call $0.10 a pip, others $0.01. Entering the stop as a price distance, such as $5.00 on gold or 50 points on an index, avoids that confusion. For currency pairs, use theforex position size calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate lot size for gold (XAU/USD)?
Decide how much money you will risk, measure the stop-loss distance in dollars per ounce, then divide the risk by the stop distance multiplied by the contract size. With a 100-ounce contract, $100 risk and a $5.00 stop give $100 ÷ ($5.00 × 100) = 0.20 lots.
How many ounces is 1 lot of gold?
It depends on the broker. Many platforms define 1 lot of XAU/USD as 100 troy ounces, so 0.01 lots is 1 ounce, but some use other sizes. The contract size is shown in the symbol specification on your platform.
How much is a $1 move in gold worth?
With a 100-ounce contract, a $1.00 move in the gold price is worth $100 on 1 lot, $10 on 0.10 lots and $1 on 0.01 lots, before any conversion into a non-USD account currency.
How do I calculate lot size for US30 or NAS100?
Use the same method with the stop distance in index points. If the contract is worth $1 per point per lot, $100 risk and a 50-point stop give 2 lots; if it is worth $10 per point, the same risk gives 0.20 lots. Check the contract size and minimum lot step your broker sets.
Why do I get a different result from my broker?
Contract sizes, lot steps and the currency an index is quoted in differ between brokers and account types. Enter the values from your own platform, and remember that spread and commission are not included in this calculation.
Does leverage change the lot size?
Not in this method. The lot size comes from your risk amount and stop distance; leverage only decides how much margin the position needs and the largest position your broker allows.
Learn more
- Forex position size calculator
The same calculation for currency pairs, in pips.
- Contract size
How many units one lot represents.
- What is a lot in forex?
Standard, mini and micro lots.
- Position sizing
How many lots to trade, with worked examples.
- Stop loss
How to set the stop distance the size is based on.
- Margin calculator
The margin a position needs at your leverage.
Other tools
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What one pip is worth for any pair and position size.
- Position Size Calculator
How many lots to trade so a stop loss costs exactly the amount you choose to risk.
- Margin Calculator
How much margin a position needs at your leverage.
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Profit or loss in pips and money for any entry and exit price.
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Results are estimates for educational purposes and exclude spreads, commissions and swaps unless stated. Always confirm figures with your broker before trading.