Gold Profit Calculator
Net profit or loss on an XAUUSD trade after spread, commission and swap, in your account currency, with the R multiple and break-even price.
- Gross P/L (price move only)
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- Spread cost
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- Commission
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- Swap
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- Total costs
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- Break-even exit price
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- Risk at stop (incl. costs)
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- Result in R
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- % of account
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Gold profit cheat sheet (100 oz per lot, before costs)
| Lot size | Ounces | $5 move | $10 move | $20 move | $50 move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.01 | 1 oz | $5 | $10 | $20 | $50 |
| 0.10 | 10 oz | $50 | $100 | $200 | $500 |
| 0.50 | 50 oz | $250 | $500 | $1,000 | $2,500 |
| 1.00 | 100 oz | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $5,000 |
How gold profit is calculated
Every XAUUSD trade comes down to two numbers: how far the price moved and how many ounces you held. At the standard 100 ounces per lot, 0.10 lot is 10 ounces, so each $1.00 the gold price moves is worth $10. A $20 move on 0.10 lot is $200 before costs. That is the gross result. The net result is what actually lands in the account after the broker's charges.
- Gross P/L = price move × ounces. For a buy the move is exit − entry; for a sell it is entry − exit.
- Spread = spread in dollars × ounces. You pay it the moment the trade opens, because you buy at the ask and the position is valued at the bid.
- Commission = commission per lot × lots. Many raw-spread accounts charge a fixed amount per lot round-turn (open plus close). Some quote it per side, so double a per-side number.
- Swap = swap per lot per night × lots × nights. On gold the long swap is usually negative because you are effectively financing the position, and Wednesday is charged three times to cover the weekend.
- Net P/L = gross − spread − commission + swap (swap is added as signed: a negative swap reduces the result).
Worked example (hypothetical): buy 0.10 lot at $4,010, exit at $4,030. Gross = $20 × 10 oz = $200. Spread $0.30 × 10 oz = $3. Commission $7 per lot × 0.10 = $0.70. Held two nights at −$4.50 per lot per night = −$0.90. Net = $200 − $3 − $0.70 − $0.90 = $195.40.
Break-even and the R multiple
The break-even price tells you how far the market must move in your favour before the trade stops losing money. It equals total costs ÷ ounces, added to the entry for a buy or subtracted for a sell. On a $3.70 total cost with 10 ounces, break-even is $0.37 away. That sounds small, but for a scalper aiming at $2 moves it is nearly a fifth of the target. Check how far gold normally moves on the gold volatility page before you decide that a target is realistic.
The R multiple expresses the result as a multiple of the amount you risked at your stop-loss, costs included. If the stop was $10 away on 10 ounces, risk = $100 plus costs. A $195 net profit is roughly +1.9R. Recording trades in R, rather than in dollars, makes a journal readable even when position sizes change. Our risk management lesson explains how to use it.
Account currency
Gold is priced in US dollars, so the profit is earned in dollars first. If your account is in rupees, euros, dirhams or another currency, the broker converts the dollar result at its own rate when the trade closes. The calculator uses a public daily reference rate so the number is indicative, not exact. The percentage-of-account figure uses the balance you type in, in the same currency.
Common mistakes this calculator catches
- Forgetting the spread on both sides of the plan. Your stop and your target both sit on the bid for a buy, so the real distance to the target is shorter and the distance to the stop is longer than the chart suggests.
- Ignoring swap on swing trades. A position held for three weeks on 1 lot can accumulate a swap bill that cancels a good part of a modest profit. Use the swap calculator for the exact figure.
- Mixing up margin and profit. Margin is a deposit, not a cost and not a risk. See the gold margin calculator.
- Sizing first, planning second. Decide the stop and the risk, then let the position size calculator set the lots. Then come back here to see what the trade is worth.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate profit on a gold trade?
Profit or loss = (exit price − entry price) × ounces for a buy, or (entry − exit) × ounces for a sell. Ounces = lots × ounces per lot, usually 100. Then subtract costs: spread, commission and any overnight swap. Example: buy 0.10 lot (10 oz) at $4,000 and sell at $4,020 = $200 gross; a $0.30 spread costs $3, so about $197 before commission and swap.
How much is $10 move in gold worth per lot?
With a 100-ounce lot, a $10 move is worth $1,000 per standard lot, $100 for 0.10 lot and $10 for 0.01 lot. The cheat sheet on this page shows $5, $10, $20 and $50 moves for the common lot sizes.
What is the break-even price on a gold trade?
It is the exit price at which net profit is exactly zero after all costs. For a buy it sits above the entry by total costs ÷ ounces; for a sell it sits below. If your costs are $5 on 10 oz, break-even is $0.50 away from entry.
What is an R multiple?
R is the amount you risk at your stop-loss, including costs. A result of +2R means you made twice what you risked; −1R means you lost the planned amount. Thinking in R makes trades of different sizes comparable in a journal.
Does this calculator include swap?
Yes, if you enter the nights held and your broker’s swap per lot per night (long and short). Swap is usually negative on gold longs, and Wednesday is normally charged three times. Use the gold swap calculator for the triple-swap detail.
Why is my broker's profit different from this result?
Common reasons: a different contract size, a different exchange rate for non-USD accounts, commission charged per side instead of round-turn, slippage on the fill, or a swap rate that changed while the trade was open. Treat this as a close estimate and confirm in your platform.
Educational tool only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Check your own broker's contract specification, margin rules and costs. Past data does not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.