Risk Management
Position Size — Definition & Example
The dollar (or rupee) amount allocated to a single trade — the most controllable variable in trading.
Position size determines how much an outcome moves your account. The two common sizing methods are: (1) fixed-fractional, where each trade risks a fixed % of equity (e.g., 0.5%); (2) fixed-amount, where each trade has a fixed dollar size. Fixed-fractional is preferred for retail because it auto-adjusts as the account grows or shrinks. Position size has more impact on long-term returns than entry/exit timing.
Formula
Position Size (shares) = (Account Equity × Risk %) / (Entry Price − Stop Price)Example
Account ₹5,00,000, risking 0.5% per trade = ₹2,500. Entry ₹500, stop ₹490 (₹10 risk per share). Position size = 2,500 / 10 = 250 shares.
Related
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