Forex trading calculator
Discover how a forex trade works – including the margin requirement and potential profit or loss on a forex CFD trade – with our forex trading calculator.
Call 010 500 8624 or email newaccounts.za@ig.com to talk about opening a trading account. We're here 24 hours a day from 9am Saturday to 11pm Friday.
Contact us: 010 500 8624
Call 010 500 8624 or email newaccounts.za@ig.com to talk about opening a trading account. We're here 24 hours a day from 9am Saturday to 11pm Friday.
Contact us: 010 500 8624
Our forex trading calculator
Choose from the options below to see how margin requirements and profit or loss are calculated on forex CFD trades.
* The profit, loss and margin requirement figures in this example are for illustrative purposes only, and the calculation assumes a spread of 1 point – which could vary. If you keep your positions on spot markets open overnight, you will pay overnight funding charges.
How to use our forex trading calculator
Decide on your points of movement
Choose between the different points of movement – from 50 points all the way up to 500. These are applicable for different timeframes including hourly, daily, weekly and monthly.
Put in your order size
Select the order size in the underlying currency pair’s price. For our example, this is given in USD.
See how your costs are calculated
Look at the different margin requirements and profit or loss figures for the trade using the figures provided by our example, and tweak the input options to get a different calculation.
When you trade forex with us, you’ll do it using CFDs. CFDs are leveraged, meaning you’ll only need to put up a deposit (called margin) to open a position. This can magnify your profits and losses as both will be based on the full exposure of the trade, not just the margin required to open it. This means losses as well as profits could far outweigh your margin, so always ensure you’re trading within your means.
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*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading today
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution
React faster with powerful technology
Our platform and apps are intuitive and highly responsive, so trading opportunities are always within reach
Grow your confidence with an established provider
We’re a FTSE 250 company that’s been leading our industry for nearly 50 years, so our expertise is second to none
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading today
Start trading today
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution
React faster with powerful technology
Our platform and apps are intuitive and highly responsive, so trading opportunities are always within reach
Grow your confidence with an established provider
We’re a FTSE 250 company that’s been leading our industry for nearly 50 years, so our expertise is second to none
How to get started with forex trading
To get started with trading forex, check out the educational resources we have at IG Academy – which can help you with your market analysis and risk management – or learn more about how forex trading works.
In the calculator on this page, we’ve included an example of a forex CFD trade. CFDs are a derivative that enable you to speculate on the price of a forex pair rising or falling – and there are a range of benefits to trading forex with CFDs. With us, you’ll be able to trade forex mini lots or standard lots with CFDs. Mini lots represent 10,000 of the first-named currency in a pair and can help to decrease your position size, while standard lots represent 100,000 of the first-named currency.
Remember that since CFDs are leveraged, it’s important that you take steps to manage your risk because leverage can increase both your profits and your losses.
- Learn how to trade forex with CFDs
- Choose a forex pair to trade
- Create a forex trading account
- Take steps to manage your risk
- Open, monitor and close your forex trade
Remember that our CFD calculator is a useful tool for determining the margin requirement and potential profit or loss of your CFD trade before you open a position.
Who are we?
We have a longstanding commitment to South Africa. Established in 2010, IG Markets South Africa Limited (IGMSA) has been regulated by the FSCA (formerly the FSB) operating with a FAIS license, FSP No 41393 and is an over-the-counter derivative provider.
FAQs
How is forex margin and leverage calculated?
Margin is calculated as a percentage of the total position size when trading with leverage, because margin is the deposit that you need to put down to open a leveraged position. Our margins for forex CFDs start at 3.33% for major pairs like GBP/USD, EUR/USD and EUR/GBP. Find out more about our margin rates, including for other markets like indices, stocks and commodities.
How is forex profit and loss calculated?
Your forex CFD profit and loss is calculated as the difference in price from when you opened your position to when you closed it, multiplied by your total position size. For forex spread bets, your profit or loss is determined by the amount of money you bet per point, and the total size of the underlying market movement.
You should remember that when you’re trading with leverage, your final profit or loss will be calculated using the full position size – not just the margin required to open it – which can result in both greater profits and greater losses.
Learn more about calculating your profit or loss on a CFD trade
Try these next
Discover our charges for share dealing, spread bets and CFDs.
Get to grips with what CFDs are and how to trade them.
Learn more about the markets we offer.
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