Stop loss & Profit target¶
Strategy Core General properties › Stop loss / Profit target
Every position can be protected by a stop and closed at up to three profit targets. Both are switched on and off in General properties; their groups appear when they are on.
Stop loss¶
The Mode decides how the distance from the entry is measured. Only the setting of the chosen mode is shown.
| Parameter | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Ticks | How the stop distance is set - see the modes below. |
| Ticks | 40 | Distance from the entry, in ticks. |
| Points | 10 | Distance from the entry, in points. A point is the instrument's price unit - 1 point of NQ or ES is 4 ticks. |
| Percent (%) | 0.5 | Distance as a percentage of the entry price. |
| Loss per contract ($) | 200 | The stop sits where one contract has lost this much, in account currency. |
| ATR multiple | 1.5 | Distance as a multiple of the ATR at entry: 1.5 with an ATR of 20 points = 30 points. |
| ATR period (bars) | 14 | The ATR used by the ATR mode. |
| Bars look back | 3 | Extremum mode: how many bars back the stop looks for the high or low it goes beyond. |
| Offset (ticks) | 4 | Extremum mode: how far beyond that extreme the stop sits. 0 = exactly on it. |
| Max risk (ticks) | 0 | The furthest the stop may be from the entry in the ATR and Extremum modes. 0 = off. |
| If further | Skip | When the stop would be beyond Max risk. Skip: no entry. Clamp: the stop is moved to Max risk. |
| Mode | The stop sits |
|---|---|
| Ticks / Points / Percent | a fixed distance from the entry |
| Currency | where one contract has lost the set amount |
| ATR | a multiple of the market's current range away - wider in fast markets, tighter in quiet ones |
| Extremum | just beyond the high (short) or low (long) of the last bars |
| Strategy | where the strategy's own logic puts it - see the strategy's page |
Profit target¶
| Parameter | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | R multiple | How the target distance is set: ticks, points, percent, currency, ATR, a multiple of the stop (R), or by the strategy. |
| Ticks | 80 | Distance from the entry, in ticks. |
| Points | 20 | Distance from the entry, in points. |
| Percent (%) | 1.0 | Distance as a percentage of the entry price. |
| Profit per contract ($) | 400 | The target sits where one contract has made this much. |
| ATR multiple | 3.0 | Distance as a multiple of the ATR at entry. |
| R multiple | 2.0 | Distance as a multiple of the stop distance: 2 = twice as far as the stop. Needs a stop. |
| ATR period (bars) | 14 | The ATR used by the ATR mode. |
| Targets | 1 | How many targets the position is split across (1-3). |
| Target 2 (x T1) | 2.0 | The second target's distance as a multiple of the first's: 2 puts it twice as far. |
| Target 3 (x T1) | 3.0 | The third target's distance as a multiple of the first's. Set it beyond Target 2. |
| Share 1 (%) | 50 | The part of the position closed at the first target. The last target takes the rest. |
| Share 2 (%) | 25 | With three targets: the part closed at the second target. Share 1 + Share 2 must stay under 100. |
Three targets
Targets 3, Mode Ticks 40, Target 2 = 2.0, Target 3 = 3.0, Share 1 = 50 %, Share 2 = 25 % on a 4-contract position: 2 contracts close 40 ticks from the entry, 1 contract at 80 ticks, the last one at 120 ticks. After each target fills, the stop follows for the contracts that are left.
Good to know¶
- With R multiple the target follows the stop: change the stop and the target moves with it.
- If the broker refuses a stop or a target, the core sends it again (Orders › Exit retries). A stop that still cannot be placed closes the position rather than leave it unprotected; a target that cannot be placed leaves the position on its stop.
- Breakeven, Trail stop, Profit protection and ETD move or replace the stop later in the trade; they start from the stop set here.