How to Calculate Gold Profit and Loss
For a linear XAUUSD instrument, gross P/L comes from signed dollar-per-ounce movement multiplied by the number of ounces represented by the position.In this guide
Find underlying ounces
Multiply lots by the broker’s ounces per lot. With 100 oz per lot, a 0.10 lot position represents 10 oz. Do not use the same lot size across different contract specifications and assume equal exposure.
Calculate direction and costs
Buying at 2000 and exiting at 2020 gives a $20/oz favorable move. Ten ounces produce $200 gross profit. A short opened and closed at those same prices loses $200 gross. If additional total costs are $5, the long estimate is $195 net and the short estimate is a $205 loss.
Avoid counting spread twice
If the entry and exit are actual execution prices, their bid/ask effects are already in the price difference. Leave additional spread cost at zero unless a separate adjustment is needed. Enter total commission and financing in account currency; a financing credit is negative cost. Convert quote-currency gross P/L explicitly when the account is not USD. This estimate is not a replacement for an account statement.
Separate gross and net outcomes
For a long position, subtract entry from exit. For a short position, subtract exit from entry. Multiply that signed movement by underlying ounces, then convert if needed. Subtract total supplied costs once. A negative gross result becomes a larger net loss when positive costs are deducted; costs do not reverse sign just because the trade loses.
A short-position cross-check
Suppose a hypothetical short opens at $2,010 and closes at $2,000 with 0.10 lot and 100 ounces per lot. The favorable $10 move applies to 10 ounces, giving $100 gross. If total account-currency costs are $6 and the account is USD, net profit is $94. A close at $2,020 instead gives a $100 gross loss and a $106 net loss.
Why might the statement differ?
Check executed prices, partial closures, financing and the conversion rate used by the broker. Avoid adding spread twice if your entry and exit already use actual bid/ask fills. The calculator models a linear position; it does not reproduce every booking rule in a broker statement.
Try the related calculator with your own inputs and review its assumptions.
Further reading: Calculation methodology and related guides.
Educational information, not personalized investment advice. Verify broker rules and contract specifications.