Gold contract basics
At most brokers one standard lot of XAUUSD is 100 ounces of gold, so a $1 move in the gold price is worth $100 on 1 lot. A pip on gold is usually a 0.10 move, and a point is 0.01.
| Lot size | Ounces | Per $1 move | Per pip (0.10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | 100 oz | $100 | $10 |
| 0.10 | 10 oz | $10 | $1 |
| 0.01 | 1 oz | $1 | $0.10 |
Gold lot size examples
Lot size = Money at risk ÷ (Stop in dollars × 100)
- $10,000 account, 1% risk ($100), stop $5 away: 100 ÷ (5 × 100) = 0.20 lots
- $5,000 account, 1% risk ($50), stop $8 away: 50 ÷ (8 × 100) = 0.06 lots
- $1,000 account, 2% risk ($20), stop $4 away: 20 ÷ (4 × 100) = 0.05 lots
Give gold stops room
Gold often moves several dollars in a few minutes. A $1 or $2 stop can be hit by normal noise. A wider stop is fine as long as the lot size shrinks to match, which is exactly what this calculator does.
Margin on gold
At a price of about 4,286, one lot of gold needs about $4,286 of margin at 1:100 and $42,862 at 1:10. On a funded account with a margin rule, use the prop firm lot size calculator so you never go over the limit.