Break-even calculator for an averaging grid on gold
How far must price come back to close in profit?
Check these settings on real ticksIn the Midas Grid emulator — any gold day since January 2025 tick by tick, and settings run day by day. Free, in the browser.
Formulas and worked example
Price must come back to the lot-weighted average entry of the open orders. With ×2 lots (start lot 0.01, $1.95 step) that is $1.94 up from the bottom when all 11 orders are open after a $19.50 move, and $1.64 after 5 orders ($7.80 move); the page shows how far, not how likely — price may not come back.
Reviewed
Frequently asked questions
How far must price come back to break even after averaging?
With ×2 and a constant step it is a little less than one step: for a $1.95 step and 11 orders about $1.94 from the bottom. With ×1.5 it is about $3.55 and with ×2.5 about $1.30 in the same setup. This is arithmetic of the settings, not a forecast.
Why is the pullback shorter with a bigger multiplier?
The last order outweighs all the earlier ones together, so the average price sits close to it. The price of that is the size of the basket and the loss at the bottom: with a 0.01 start and 11 orders ×2 gives 20.47 lots and ×2.5 gives 158.89 lots. The table puts them side by side.
Does the price have to come back?
No. The calculator shows how far price has to come back, not how likely that is. Price may not come back, and with too small a deposit a stop-out is possible.
What is the take in Midas?
Closing the basket in profit. Most often it is the trail: it arms at break-even + $1.00 and closes the basket no lower than break-even + $0.50. The hard take sits at break-even + $10, above the arm, and works only if price climbs to it without a pullback. You can check the values in the “Advisor exit” block.
About this calculator
Set the grid, mark where the price turned, and see for every order how far it has to come back to reach break-even, arm the trail and close above it. It is arithmetic of your settings, not a forecast.
Formulas and worked example
In short: how far must price come back to break even after averaging?
Price must return to the lot-weighted average entry of the open orders; with ×2 lots that is a little less than one grid step above the bottom. With the Midas defaults (start lot 0.01, 11 orders, $1.95 step) the way back from the 11th order is $1.94. The page shows how far, not how likely: price may not come back.
break-even = Σ(lotᵢ × levelᵢ) ÷ Σ lotᵢLevels in dollars below the first order (above it for a sell grid): the average entry of the open orders, weighted by lot.way back = bottom − break-even; to the trail arm = way back + $1.00The bottom is where price turned. Midas arms its trail at break-even + $1.00 and never closes below break-even + $0.50 (defaults).
Worked example: 4 orders, step $2, ×2
Start lot 0.01, multiplier ×2, step $2; price turned at the 4th order, $6 below the first. Lots 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 opened at 0, $2, $4 and $6.
| Total lots | 0.01 + 0.02 + 0.04 + 0.08 = 0.15 |
| Loss at the bottom | 0.01 × 6 + 0.02 × 4 + 0.04 × 2 = $0.22 |
| Break-even, below the first order | (0.02 × 2 + 0.04 × 4 + 0.08 × 6) ÷ 0.15 = 0.68 ÷ 0.15 = $4.53 |
| Way back to break-even | 6 − 4.53 = $1.47 |
| Way back to the trail arm | 1.47 + 1.00 = $2.47 |
Lot multiplier and the way back
A bigger multiplier shortens the way back but makes the basket much larger: from the 11th order ×2 needs $1.94 back with 20.47 lots open, ×2.5 needs $1.30 with 158.89 lots.
| Multiplier | Total lots | Loss at the bottom | Way back to break-even | Balance to reach the 11th order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ×1 | 0.11 | $1.07 | $9.75 | $1.29 |
| ×1.5 | 1.67 | $5.93 | $3.55 | $9.27 |
| ×2 | 20.47 | $39.70 | $1.94 | $80.64 |
| ×2.5 | 158.89 | $206.12 | $1.30 | $523.90 |
The table shows how far price has to come back, not how likely that is. Price may not come back, and with too small a deposit a stop-out is possible.
Share this scenario
Midas runs the same calculation in its panel on the MT5 chart.The Grid tab shows the room to stop-out for your account and settings.