Margin Calculator

How to calculate margin?

Margin is fundamentally about how much money you need to "reserve" to open and maintain a trading position. Think of it as a security deposit.

Imagine you want to buy $100,000 worth of currency. Without leverage, you'd need the full $100,000. But with 1:100 leverage, you only need $1,000 as forex margin. This is because: $100,000 ÷ 100 = $1,000

The formula for margin is:

Margin = (Trade Size × Market Price) ÷ Leverage

For example, if you trade 1 lot (100,000 units) of EUR/USD at a market price of 1.2000 with a leverage of 1:100, the margin required is:

(100,000 × 1.2000) ÷ 100 = $1,200

The margin rate is expressed in the base currency of the trading account and ensures traders have sufficient funds to cover potential losses. Always monitor margin levels to avoid margin calls or stop-outs.

Why is margin important?

Margin is important in trading because it allows traders to control larger positions with a smaller amount of capital, increasing potential profits. It serves as a form of collateral required by brokers to open and maintain trades, ensuring traders can cover potential losses.

Proper margin use enables efficient capital management and the ability to diversify positions. However, it also introduces risk, as high leverage magnifies both gains and losses. If the account's margin level falls below the broker's requirements, traders may face margin calls or forced liquidation of positions to prevent negative balances.

Understanding margin in forex and CFD trading helps traders manage risk effectively, maintain account stability, and avoid over-leveraging, which can lead to significant losses. It's crucial for traders to regularly monitor their margin levels and maintain adequate free margin as a safety buffer. Professional traders often use conservative leverage ratios and never risk more than a small percentage of their account on any single trade, ensuring they have sufficient margin to withstand market volatility.

How does our margin calculator work?

The Dukascopy Margin Calculator widget simplifies margin calculations for traders. Users only need to input their desired trading amount, as the widget automatically incorporates current market price and default leverage settings. The calculator works for all instruments available on the platform.

Whether you're new to trading or a seasoned professional, this tool proves invaluable for rapid margin requirement checks. The widget continuously updates with live market data, ensuring your calculations stay accurate. This becomes particularly important during periods of high market volatility or significant economic announcements, as you can immediately see how market changes affect your required margin.

Want to trade different position sizes? The calculator handles everything from small micro-lots of 0.01 up to larger positions. You can test various trading scenarios by adjusting your position size and instantly seeing the margin impact. This makes it an excellent tool for planning your risk management and determining appropriate position sizes.

The widget also shows how weekend and weekdays standard leverage options affect your margin requirements. This clear visibility helps you make better-informed trading decisions. For instance, you can easily compare how changing leverage ratios affects the margin needed for the same trade size, helping you select the most appropriate setup for your trading approach and risk comfort level.

Example

Consider trading GBP/USD with a position of 1 lot using the standard 1:100 forex leverage. During weekdays, this would require a margin of 1,242 USD. If you increase your position to 10 lots, the required margin becomes 12,420 USD.

This is because the calculation works as:

(100,000 × 1.242) ÷ 100 = $1,242 

(1,000,000 × 1.242) ÷ 100 = $12,420

The widget handles these calculations automatically, making it easier for traders to quickly determine their margin requirements for any position size.