Forex Signals

Pip Values

In most cases, a pip is equal to .01% of the quote currency, thus, 10,000 pips = 1 unit of currency. In USD, 100 pips = 1 penny, and 10,000 pips = $1. A well known exception is for the Japanese yen (JPY) in which a pip is worth 1% of the yen, because the yen has little value compared to other currencies. Since there are about 120 yen to 1 USD, a pip in USD is close in value to a pip in JPY. (See Currency Quotes; Pips; Bid/Ask Quotes; Cross Currency Quotes for an introduction.) Because the quote currency of a currency pair is the quoted price (hence, the name), the value of the pip is in the quote currency. So, for instance, for EUR/USD, the pip is equal to 0.0001 USD, but for USD/EUR, the pip is equal to 0.0001 Euro. If the conversion rate for Euros to dollars is 1.35, then a Euro pip = 0.000135 dollars.

Converting Profits and Losses in Pips to USD

To calculate your profits and losses in pips to your native currency, you must convert the pip value to your native currency. The following calculations will be shown using USD as an example. When you close a trade, the profit or loss is initially expressed in the pip value of the quoted currency. To determine the total profit or loss, you must multiply the pip difference between the open price and closing price by the number of units of currency traded. This yields the total pip difference between the opening and closing transaction. If the pip value is USD, then the profit or loss is expressed in USD, but if USD is the base currency, then the pip value must be converted to USD, which can be found by dividing the total pip profit or loss by the conversion rate.

Example—Converting Pip Values to USD.

You buy 10,000 Canadian dollars with USD, with conversion rate USD/CAD = 1.100. Subsequently, you sell your Canadian dollars for 1.1200, yielding a profit of 200 pips in Canadian dollars. Because USD is the base currency, you can get the value in USD by dividing the value by the exit price of 1.12. 10,000 CAD x 200 pips = 2,000,000 pips total. Since 2,000,000 pips = 200 Canadian dollars, your profit in USD is 200/1.12 = 178.57 USD.
For a cross pair not involving USD, the pip value must be converted by the rate that was applicable at the time of the closing transaction. To find that rate, you would look at the quote for the USD/pip currency pair, then multiply the pip value by this rate, or if you only have the quote for the pip currency/USD, then you divide by the rate.

Example—Calculating Profits for a Cross Currency Pair

You buy 100,000 units of EUR/JPY = 164.09 and sell when EUR/JPY = 164.10, and USD/JPY = 121.35. Profit in JPY pips = 164.10 – 164.09 = .01 yen = 1 pip (Remember the yen exception: 1 JPY pip = .01 yen.) Total Profit in JPY pips = 1 x 100,000 = 100,000 pips.Total Profit in Yen = 100,000 pips/100 = 1,000 Yen Because you only have the quote for USD/JPY = 121.35, to get profit in USD, you divide by the quote currency’s conversion rate:
Total Profit in USD = 1,000/121.35 = 8.24 USD.

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