What is a pip? A pip is the price move in a given exchange rate. Understanding the change in value helps traders to enter, or edit orders to manage their trading strategy.
| Currency Pair | Exchange Rate at Close | Pip Change | Trade Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/GBP | 0.8714 | +29 | 350,000 EUR |
| Number of GBP per pip: 350,000 × 0.0001 = 35 Per Pip Value: 35 ÷ 0.8714 = 40.17 EUR per pip Trade Profit / (Loss): 29 pips × 40.17 = 1, 164.93 Euros |
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Traders often use pips to reference gains, or losses. A pip measures the amount of change in the exchange rate for a currency pair, and is calculated using last decimal point. Since most major currency pairs are priced to 4 decimal places, the smallest change is that of the last decimal point which is equivalent to 1/100 of 1%, or one basis point. For a trader to say "I made 40 pips on the trade" for instance, means that the trader profited by 40 pips. The actual cash amount this represents depends on the pip value.
OANDA introduced fractional pips, known as "pipettes" to allow for tighter spreads. A fractional pip is equivalent to 1/10 of a pip, making it possible to view the EUR/USD currency pair with pipettes to five decimal places, while currency pairs with the yen as the quote currency to three decimal places. Pipettes are displayed in superscript format in the quote panel.
The monetary value of each pip depends on three factors: the currency pair being traded, the size of the trade, and the exchange rate. Based on these factors the fluctuation of even a single pip can have a significant impact on the value of the open position.
EXAMPLE: Assume that a $300,000 trade involving the USD/CAD pair is closed at 1.0568 after gaining 20 pips. Calculate the profit in U.S. dollars by completing the following three steps:
Determine the number of quote currency (CAD) each pip represents – Multiply the amount of the trade by 1 pip: 300,000 x 0.0001 = 30 CAD per pip
Calculate the number of base currency (USD) per pip – Divide the number of CAD per pip (from step 1) by the closing exchange rate to arrive at the number of USD per pip: 30 ÷ 1.0568 = 28.39 USD per pip
Determine the total profit or loss of the trade – Multiply the number of pips gained, by the value of each pip in USD (from step 2) to arrive at the total loss / profit for the trade: 20 (pips gained) x 28.39 = $567.80 USD profit
For the answer click the + symbol on the left side. Assume all examples are buy transactions.
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† Disclaimer:
This page is for general information purposes only: examples are not investment advice or an inducement to trade. Past history is not an indication of future performance.
Execution speed and numbers are based on the median round trip latency from receipt to response for all Market Order and Trade Close requests executed between January 1st and May 1st 2019 on the OANDA execution platform.
Contracts for Difference (CFDs) or Precious Metals are NOT available to residents of the United States.
MT4 hedging capabilities are NOT available to residents of the United States.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) limits leverage available to retail forex traders in the United States to 50:1 on major currency pairs and 20:1 for all others. OANDA Asia Pacific offers maximum leverage of 50:1 on FX products and limits to leverage offered on CFDs apply. Maximum leverage for OANDA Canada clients is determined by IIROC and is subject to change. For more information refer to our regulatory and financial compliance section.
This is for general information purposes only - Examples shown are for illustrative purposes and may not reflect current prices from OANDA. It is not investment advice or an inducement to trade. Past history is not an indication of future performance.
