XAUUSD Profit Calculator: How Much Will You Make?

How to Use the XAUUSD Profit Calculator

This tool is built to give you a clear picture of your potential trade outcomes. Here’s how to use it:

1. Set Up Your Account: Select your "Account Currency" and enter your current "Account Balance" and the "Leverage" your broker offers.
2. Define Your Core Trade: Enter your planned "Entry Price", "Total Trade Size (Lots)", and your "Stop Loss Price". Select whether you're going "Long (Buy)" or "Short (Sell)".
3. Plan Your Exits (Optional): Use the Take-Profit fields to model a partial-exit strategy. You can set up to three different price targets and the lot size you'll close at each level.
4. Add Costs: Enter any "Commission per Lot" and the "Number of Nights Held" to factor in swap fees.
5. Click Calculate: Instantly see your potential Net P/L, how costs affect your bottom line, and your new account balance.

Why Gross Profit is a Trap (And Net Profit is King)

Every trader has felt the sting: you close a winning trade, but the amount that hits your account is less than you expected. What gives? The answer lies in the difference between gross profit and net profit. Gross profit is the simple price change. Net profit is what's left after all the costs of doing business are subtracted.

Think of it like a business’s revenue versus its profit. Revenue is the total sales, but profit is what’s left after rent, salaries, and inventory are paid for. In trading, commissions, spreads, and swap fees are your "rent." Ignoring them gives you a dangerously incomplete picture. Understanding these costs is so essential that the European regulator ESMA explicitly warns retail investors about the hidden costs of leveraged products like CFDs and forex. This tool makes those essential calculations automatic.

The Profit Formula: How the Math Works

We're all about transparency. Here is the simple, three-step formula this calculator uses to find your true potential profit:

1. Gross P/L = (Exit Price - Entry Price) × Ounces Traded
2. Total Costs = Commission Fees + Swap Fees
3. Net Profit = Gross P/L - Total Costs

Let's break that down:

• Gross P/L: The raw profit from the price movement of your trade. The calculator does this for each of your take-profit levels and adds them up.
• Total Costs: The sum of the round-trip commission for your lot size and any overnight swap fees you accrue.
• Net Profit: The most important number—what you actually bank after all expenses are paid.

A Real-World Example: Calculating Profit on a Gold Trade

Let's follow a trader named Chloe who wants to plan a swing trade on Gold. Here are her trade parameters:

• Account Currency: Pounds Sterling (£)
• Trade Direction: Long (Buy)
• Total Trade Size: 2.0 lots
• Entry Price: $2,350.00
• Take Profit 1: Close 1.0 lot at $2,365.00
• Take Profit 2: Close 1.0 lot at $2,385.00
• Commission: £5 per lot (round trip)
• Holding Period: 3 nights, including a Wednesday
• Swap Rate: Her broker's long swap rate is -28.5 points

1. Step 1: Calculate Gross Profit (in USD)

   First, we find the profit from price movement alone, before any costs. Since XAUUSD is quoted in USD, the gross profit is in USD.

   TP1: ($2,365 - $2,350) × 100 ounces/lot × 1.0 lot = $1,500.00
   TP2: ($2,385 - $2,350) × 100 ounces/lot × 1.0 lot = $3,500.00
   Total Gross Profit = $5,000.00 USD

2. Step 2: Calculate Total Costs (in Account Currency £)

   Next, we calculate all fees. Some are in USD, some in GBP, so we'll convert everything to Chloe's account currency.

   Commission:
   This is already in her currency: £5/lot × 2.0 lots = £10.00

   Swap Fees:
   The swap rate is -28.5 points. Since she's holding for 3 nights including a Wednesday, the broker applies a triple swap, totaling 5 "swap nights" (Mon, Tue, Wed×3).
   Swap Cost (USD) = -28.5 points × $1/point × 2.0 lots × 5 nights = -$285.00 USD

   Total Costs:
   We convert the USD swap cost to GBP. Let's assume the calculator finds a live USD/GBP exchange rate of 0.80. Converted Swap Cost = -$285.00 × 0.80 = -£228.00
Total Costs = £10.00 (Commission) + £228.00 (Swap) = £238.00

3. Step 3: Find the Net Profit (in £)

   Finally, we convert the gross profit to GBP and subtract the total costs.

   Gross Profit in £ = $5,000.00 USD × 0.80 = £4,000.00
Net Profit = £4,000.00 (Gross Profit) - £238.00 (Total Costs) = £3,762.00

The Result: By using the calculator, Chloe knows her trade plan, if successful, will net her approximately £3,762. She has a complete financial picture, accounting for both the market move and the very real costs of holding her position.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What's the difference between Gross Profit and Net Profit?

Gross Profit is the profit calculated purely from your entry and exit prices. Net Profit is the real amount of money you make after subtracting all trading costs, such as commissions and overnight swap fees. You should always focus on your Net Profit.

What are swap fees and why do they matter?

A swap, or rollover fee, is the interest paid or earned for holding a leveraged position overnight. It's essentially the cost of borrowing the capital to hold your large position. For multi-day swing trades, these small daily costs can add up and significantly impact your final net profit, which is why this calculator includes them.

What is the "Contract Size" for XAUUSD?

For most CFD brokers, one standard lot of XAU/USD represents 100 troy ounces of gold. This is the standard used in our calculations. Knowing this is critical, as a 1-lot trade on gold has a much larger notional value than a 1-lot trade on a forex pair.