LotSizelyOpen the specification
- Open Market Watch in MT5.
- Right-click the exact symbol you intend to trade.
- Select Specification.
- Check the complete symbol name, including any suffix such as “+”, “.a” or “pro”.
Two symbols with similar names can use different contract sizes or volume limits, so selecting the exact instrument matters.
The fields that affect position size
| MT5 field | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | Decimal places displayed | Defines how platform points relate to price |
| Contract size | Units represented by 1.00 lot | Changes the value of a price movement |
| Tick size | Smallest allowed price change | Defines the movement represented by one tick |
| Tick value | Cash value of one tick | Connects price movement to profit or loss |
| Profit currency | Currency in which P/L is calculated | May require conversion to the account currency |
| Minimal volume | Smallest allowed lot size | Can exceed a small risk budget |
| Volume step | Allowed increment between volumes | Controls how a raw result is rounded |
Convert tick value into stop cost
If MT5 gives a tick value for one tick at 1.00 lot, first count how many ticks exist between entry and stop. Multiply that count by the losing tick value.
Then divide the target cash risk by that stop cost. This tick-based approach avoids disagreements about whether a displayed increment should be called a pip or a point.
Profit and loss tick values can differ
MT5 can expose separate tick values for a profitable and losing movement. Currency conversion and instrument calculation rules may make them slightly different. For risk sizing, the loss-side value is the conservative choice when it is available.
If LotSizely differs from your platform, send the symbol name, account currency, contract size, tick size, loss tick value, minimum volume and volume step. Those values are more useful than a screenshot of the final lot size alone.
Volume is not the same as margin
Position size controls exposure and stop-loss risk. Margin is the amount reserved to open that exposure and depends on leverage and broker rules. Higher leverage can reduce required margin, but it does not make each pip less valuable for the same volume.
Primary reference
MetaTrader's official Market Watch documentation lists the symbol properties set by the broker, including contract size, tick size, tick value and trading volume limits.