XAU/USD · COMMODITY

Gold (XAU/USD) Position Size Calculator

One standard lot of XAU/USD (100 oz) moves $100 for every $1 of gold. This Gold risk calculator converts your stop distance and risk % into the exact lot size for your prop firm account.

How many lots of XAU/USD should I trade?

Position size = (account balance × risk %) ÷ (stop distance × value per unit). For Gold (XAU/USD), each $ of stop is worth $100 per lots, so on a $100,000 account risking 1% the calculator converts your dollar risk into the exact lots — keeping every loss inside prop-firm daily limits.

How much is one $ worth for XAU/USD?
For Gold (XAU/USD), each $ move is worth $100 per lots. This tick value is used to convert your dollar risk into a position size.
How is position size calculated?
Position size = (Account balance × Risk %) ÷ (Stop distance × Dollar value per unit). For example, on a $100,000 account risking 1% with a 50-point stop on NQ ($20/point), you trade 1 contract.
Read the full position sizing guide →·Funded account rules →·Max drawdown explained →
Market
Pick a market — contract values update automatically.
Trade Parameters
Gold (XAU/USD) · $100/unit move per lots
$
%

Prop firms typically cap risk at 0.25–2%.

%

Used to estimate how much of your daily drawdown a single trade uses.

Position Size

0.07

lots · Gold (XAU/USD)

Total Risk

$1,000

Stop Distance

150 $

Stop vs Entry

0.76%

Daily Drawdown Used

Safe

This trade consumes 20% of a standard 5% daily drawdown limit.

How it's calculated

Position size = (Balance × Risk%) ÷ (Stop distance × $100 per $)

Example: sizing Gold the prop-firm way

On a $100,000 account risking 1% ($1,000) with an entry of 2,380 and a stop-loss at 2,360 (a 20 $ stop), the correct position size is 0.5 lots. This keeps every trade inside the prop firm's daily drawdown limit.

Gold vs Nasdaq 100 — contract specs compared

The position size formula is identical for both instruments; only the dollar value per $ and the position unit change. This table compares XAU/USD side by side with NQ so you can apply the right numbers before you size a trade.

SpecGoldNasdaq 100
Ticker symbolXAU/USDNQ
Value per $ per lot$100$20
Position unitlotscontracts
Example entry2,380.0019,850.00
Example stop-loss2,360.0019,700.00
Price precision (decimals)22

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Risk management FAQ

Most prop firms force you to risk no more than 1% per trade, and many disciplined SMC and ICT traders use just 0.25%–0.5%. On a $100,000 funded account that means risking $250–$1,000 per trade. A fixed 1% rule survives losing streaks: after 10 losses in a row you are still down only ~10% and your daily drawdown limit is intact.
Use the formula: Position size = (Account Balance × Risk%) ÷ (Stop Distance × Dollar Value per Point). For NQ, each point is worth $20 per contract. With a $100,000 account risking 1% ($1,000) and a 50-point stop, you trade 1,000 ÷ (50 × 20) = 1 NQ contract. For MNQ (worth $2/point) the same setup allows 10 contracts.
The core SMC/ICT rule is simple: only trade when you can place your stop-loss beyond a structural level (order block, breaker, fair value gap, or liquidity pool). Never widen your stop to make a trade 'work' — instead reduce position size. If the stop distance grows, the contract count must shrink to keep your total risk fixed at 1% or less.
Prop firms typically enforce a 5% daily drawdown and a 6–10% maximum loss. Your position size must keep a single losing trade (your stop loss) comfortably inside the daily limit. For example, on a $100,000 account with a $5,000 daily limit, one trade risking 1% ($1,000) consumes only 20% of the daily buffer — leaving room for a few sequential losers without breaching.
Risking 1% ($100) on a $10,000 account with a 20-pip EUR/USD stop means: 100 ÷ (20 pips × $10 per pip per lot) = 0.5 standard lots. The exact number always depends on your stop distance — that is why you calculate the size after choosing your stop, never before.