How Leverage Increases Trading Profits and Loses?
If you have a 1,000 dollar trading account with leverage 100:1 you can buy a maximum of 1 lot which is equal to 100,000 dollars contract(1 Standard lot).
Let us calculate Forex profits and losses based on three examples of used leverage, based on $1,000 forex account:
- 1 lot(100:1)
- 0.5 lots(50:1)
- 0.2 lots(20:1)
NB: This is the Leverage used not the Maximum leverage, If a Forex broker gives you 100:1 leverage, but you only trade 0.1 lot the used leverage you are using is 10:1, But if you trade 1 contract then the you will use is 100:1 which is equal to Maximum(100:1).
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: (100:1 Leverage or 1 Lot)
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 100 pips the loss in dollars is
1 lot
1 pip = $10
100 pips = 100 * 10 = $1000
Total = account balance - loss
Total= 1000 - 1000
Total = $ 0 you have just lost your trading account balance
Example 2 :(50:1 Leverage or 0.5 Lots)
For 0.5 lots 1 pip equals $ 5
If you make a profit of 100 pips the profit in dollars is
0.5 lots
1 pip = $5
100 pips = 100 * 5 = $500
Total= balance + profit
= 1000+ 500
= $1,500
If you make a loss of 100 pips the loss in dollars is
0.5 lots
1 pip = $5
100 pips = 100 * 5 = $500
Total = account balance - loss
Total= 1000 - 500
Total= $500 you have just lost half of your trading account balance
Example 3: (Leverage 20:1 or 0.2 Lots)
For 0.2 lots 1 pip equals $ 2
If you make a profit of 100 pips the profit in dollars is
0.2 lots
1 pip = $2
100 pips = 100 * 2 = $200
Total=balance + profit
= 1000+ 200
= $1,200
If you make a loss of 100 pips the loss in dollars is
0.2 lots
1 pip = $2
100 pips = 100 * 5 = $200
Total = account balance - loss
Total= 1000 - 200
Total= $800 you have just lost 0.2 of your trading account balance
From the above example you can see that the more leverage you use the 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 leverage rules not to trade with more than 5:1 leverage.
In Forex leverage rules: It is always advisable to stay below 10:1 leverage which is still high, most professional money managers use 2:1 leverage meaning they trade only 2 lots for every $100,000 in their Forex trading account.