Gold Profit Calculator (XAU/USD)

What This Calculator Answers and When You Need It

This calculator answers the exact profit or loss on a gold position, in A$, based on your entry and exit prices, position size, and direction. It also shows the pip move, which is the change in price divided by 0.01. An Australian trader needs this before entering a trade to set realistic targets and stops, and after closing a position to verify the realised result against their broker’s statement. It is especially useful when volatility in XAU/USD is high, as a small price change can produce a large dollar outcome on a standard lot of 100 ounces.

The result is based on the standard contract for spot gold against the US dollar: one standard lot equals 100 troy ounces, and one pip equals 0.01. Because the quote currency is USD, the raw profit is in US dollars. To get an A$ figure, multiply by the current AUD/USD rate. The calculator does not include spreads, commissions, or swap charges, so treat the number as a gross result before costs. Use it to compare different trade scenarios before you commit margin.

For example, if you are considering a long 0.10-lot trade at 4275.0 with a target of 4280.0, the calculator will show a potential profit of about US$50, which is around A$75 at an AUD/USD of 0.66. That is a meaningful amount for a small account, so checking the numbers first helps you avoid overleveraging.

The Formula in Plain Words

The profit or loss formula is: (Exit Price − Entry Price) × Contract Size × Number of Lots, with the sign reversed for a short trade. For XAU/USD, the contract size is 100 ounces per lot. The pip move is simply (Exit Price − Entry Price) ÷ 0.01, because one pip equals 0.01 in gold. Both formulas use the exact numbers you enter; no other inputs are needed.

The inputs are: entry price, exit price, number of lots (or position size in lots), and direction (long or short). For a long trade, if the exit is above the entry, the result is positive; if it is below, the result is negative. For a short trade, the sign flips: profit when the exit is below the entry, loss when it is above. The pip move is always a positive number if you ignore direction, but the calculator can show it as negative for a losing long trade.

The raw profit or loss comes out in US dollars because gold is quoted in USD. To convert to Australian dollars, multiply by the current AUD/USD exchange rate, or use a broker that displays account equity in A$. The formula does not change with leverage; leverage only affects the margin required, not the profit or loss per pip.

Worked Example on Gold

Take a long trade on XAU/USD: you buy 0.10 lots at 4275.0 and sell at 4280.0. The price difference is 4280.0 − 4275.0 = 5.0. The pip move is 5.0 ÷ 0.01 = 500 pips. The contract size for one lot is 100 ounces, so 0.10 lots equal 10 ounces. The profit in USD is 5.0 × 10 = US$50. If the AUD/USD rate is 0.66, that is about A$75.76. That is the gross profit before spreads and commissions.

Now consider a short trade with the same entry and exit. You sell 0.10 lots at 4275.0 and buy back at 4280.0. The price moved against you by 5.0, so the pip move is −500 pips. The loss is 5.0 × 10 = US$50, which is about A$75.76. The sign flips because you are short. This symmetry is important: the calculator must know your direction to report the correct sign.

At the given reference price of 4275.0, a one-pip move on 0.10 lots is worth 0.01 × 10 = US$0.10, or about A$0.15. A one-pip move on a full standard lot is 0.01 × 100 = US$1, or about A$1.52. These per-pip values help you assess risk before entering a trade. The worked margin figure of A$85.50 for 0.10 lots at the maximum leverage available in Australia of 1:200 is separate and does not affect the profit calculation.

Common Mistakes and How to Read the Result

A common mistake is entering the wrong direction. If you are short and the price falls, the calculator should show a profit, but if you leave the direction as long, it will show a loss. Another error is confusing pips with points: in gold, one pip is 0.01, not 0.1. Entering 4275.0 and 4275.5 is a 50-pip move, not 5 pips. Also, do not forget to account for the contract size: 1 lot is 100 ounces, so a $1 price move on one lot is $100, not $1.

The result is a gross figure in US dollars. It does not include the spread, which is the difference between the bid and ask price when you enter and exit. If the spread is 30 cents on gold, a round trip costs 0.30 × 10 ounces = US$3 on 0.10 lots, which reduces your profit or increases your loss. Commissions and overnight swap charges also affect the net result. Always compare the calculator output with your broker’s statement after the trade is closed.

The pip move is a useful risk metric. If the price moves 500 pips against you on 0.10 lots, you lose about A$75, but on one lot you would lose about A$758. That is why position sizing matters. Read the result as a planning number, not a guarantee. Volatility in gold can produce large swings in minutes, and the calculator gives you a static estimate based on the prices you enter.

The Spread and Overnight Swap Are Part of Your Result

The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price quoted for XAU/USD, and it is your first cost on every gold position. FxPro does not publish a fixed spread for gold; the spread depends on market liquidity and volatility, so it can widen during news or thin trading. You pay the spread once on entry, because you open at one side of the quote and will later close at the other. In the calculator, if you enter a net entry price that already includes the spread, the result is closer to reality than using a raw mid-price.

The overnight swap is a financing charge or credit applied each night you hold a gold position past the broker's rollover time. FxPro lists swap rates for XAU/USD in its platform, but the exact amount depends on position direction (long or short), position size, and the relevant interbank interest rates. Swap is charged per lot per night, so a 0.10 lot position held for a week accumulates seven swap debits or credits. The calculator must subtract total swap from gross profit if you want a true net figure.

Both the spread and swap reduce your realised profit or increase your loss, so they belong in the cost side of the result before you assess a trade. If you risk A$100 on a gold trade but ignore a A$5 spread and A$2 per night swap, your real risk is higher. For Australian traders, these costs are in the same currency as your account if you hold AUD, but FxPro may convert from USD at its prevailing rate. Always check the platform's current spread and swap before relying on the calculator's output.

Gross Result Versus Net Result

A gross result is the raw price movement on your gold position before any costs are deducted. If you buy 1 lot of XAU/USD at 4275.0 and sell at 4285.0, the gross profit is US$1,000 because one lot is 100 ounces and the price moved US$10. This number ignores the spread you paid on entry and any swap charges. The calculator's basic output is usually gross, and it is useful for comparing price scenarios, but it overstates what reaches your account.

A net result is the gross profit or loss minus the spread, swap, and any other transaction costs such as commissions if they apply. FxPro's gold trading is typically spread-only with no separate commission, but you must confirm for your account type. To get a net result, subtract the spread in dollar terms (spread in price points multiplied by 100 ounces per lot) and add or subtract swap for each night held. For example, a 0.10 lot position with a US$10 gross profit but a US$1.50 spread and US$1.00 swap nets US$7.50.

The gap between gross and net widens with smaller price moves and longer holding periods. A quick scalp on gold may have a gross profit close to net if the spread is tight, but a swing trade held for two weeks accumulates 14 swap charges that can eat a large part of the move. For Australian traders, also consider the AUD/USD exchange rate if your account is in AUD, because the USD profit must be converted. Always ask the calculator for a net result or manually deduct costs before risking real money.

Expectancy Across Many Trades, Not One Outcome

Expectancy is the average profit or loss you can expect per trade over a large number of trades, and it is more important than the result of any single gold trade. The calculator gives you a one-trade outcome, but trading is a series of outcomes. Expectancy combines your win rate and average win/loss size: if you win 40% of trades with an average profit of A$300 and lose 60% with an average loss of A$100, your expectancy is A$60 per trade. Without expectancy, one profitable calculator result can mislead you into overtrading.

A single net result from the calculator is only a snapshot, and it cannot tell you whether a strategy is viable. The same trade setup that shows a A$50 net profit on one entry might lose A$30 on another because of spread widening or swap. To use the calculator for expectancy, you must run it across different entry and exit scenarios, and then weight them by how often each occurs in your backtest or forward test. Expectancy is the product of probability and payoff, not the hope from one good number.

For Australian gold traders, expectancy must account for all costs in AUD terms, including the spread and swap, and the offshore broker caveat. FxPro is licensed by the FCA and CySEC, not ASIC, so Australian residents deal with an offshore entity, which may affect dispute resolution and fund safety. That risk should lower your required expectancy because tail risks exist. A positive expectancy after costs and realistic win rates is the only reason to keep trading a gold strategy, and the calculator is just one input into that calculation.

Spread on Entry and Overnight Swap: The Cost Side of Your Result

The spread on entry is the first cost subtracted from your gold trade, and it is the difference between the buy and sell price quoted by the broker at the moment you open the position. For XAU/USD with South Cross FX, the spread depends on market liquidity and volatility, and it is charged once when you enter, not on exit. If you buy at the ask price and immediately close at the bid, you realise the spread as a loss, which means the market must move in your favour by at least that amount before you break even on the trade.

The overnight swap is a financing charge or credit applied to your open position at the end of each trading day, and it reflects the interest rate difference between the US dollar and gold. The swap amount depends on the direction of your trade, the size of your position, and the broker's rollover rate, which can change daily with market rates. For a 1-lot gold position, the swap is calculated on 100 ounces, so even a small per-ounce rate adds up over multiple nights, and it is charged every night the position remains open, including weekends as a triple charge on Wednesday or Friday depending on the broker.

Both costs reduce your gross profit or increase your gross loss, and they must be included in any realistic profit calculation. The spread is paid regardless of how long you hold the trade, while the swap grows with time, so a short-term scalper is more sensitive to spread and a swing trader to swap. When using the profit calculator, you should enter the current spread and swap rate from your trading platform, because these numbers are not fixed and can be wider during news events or rollover. Ignoring them will overstate your expected result and lead to poor trade decisions.

Gross Result Versus Net Result: What You Actually Take Home

The gross result is your profit or loss from the price movement alone, calculated as the difference between your entry and exit price multiplied by the position size, before any costs are deducted. For gold, if you buy 1 lot at 4275.0 and sell at 4285.0, the gross profit is 10.0 points, which equals 1000 pips, and since one pip on 1 lot is A$1, that is A$1000. This number is useful for comparing price performance, but it is not the money you will see in your account, because the spread and swap are still to be taken out.

The net result is what remains after you subtract the spread on entry and any overnight swaps from the gross result, and it is the only figure that matters for your account balance. The spread and swap costs depend on market conditions and the broker's pricing, so a trade that shows a small gross profit can actually be a net loss once costs are included. In a losing trade, these costs make the loss larger, so you must account for them before risking real money.

The profit calculator on this page can show both gross and net results if you enter the spread and expected swap, but you must understand the difference to use it correctly. Gross results are often quoted in marketing or backtests, but they flatter performance, while net results reflect the real cost of trading. For Australian traders, these costs are in AUD and directly affect your withdrawable balance. Always calculate the net result before risking real money, and if the net is negative, the trade is not worth taking regardless of the gross potential.