Position sizing 101: the one formula every trader should know
Most blown accounts come from position sizes that are too large, not bad ideas. The formula Position size = (Account × Risk %) ÷ (Entry − Stop)
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Market discussion with structure: positions get disclosed, claims need sources and nothing here is financial advice.
Most blown accounts come from position sizes that are too large, not bad ideas. The formula Position size = (Account × Risk %) ÷ (Entry − Stop)
Welcome! This is a place to learn, share and challenge ideas — respectfully. House rules - Disclose positions when you discuss an asset (use the disclosure field).
Bitcoin has spent weeks compressing under the prior range high. Volume on the breakout candle was the strongest in a month and funding stayed neutral, which suggests spot demand rather than leverage. My plan is to wait for a retest of the breakout zone rather than chase. If price loses the zone on a daily close, the idea is invalid. Risk is 1% of account. I'll trail the stop below each new higher low.
A member’s illustrative scenario for discussion. Not a recommendation or advice from Klymb.
Disclosure: Long BTC (spot)
The market is split on whether the SARB cuts at the next MPC. Here's how I'm framing it: Base case — hold with a dovish tone Rand drifts with global risk sentiment. Range trading likely.
I've started asking Klymb AI to stress-test my trade ideas — I paste my plan and ask for the bear case. It's good at pointing out risks I ignored. How are others using it? Prompts that work well?
Options are pricing a large move either way. With expectations this elevated, "beat and raise" may not be enough — guidance on data-center demand and gross margins will drive the reaction. I'm not trading the print. Waiting for the dust to settle and looking for a pullback into prior support for a longer-term entry.
EUR/USD is back at a level that has capped rallies three times. Rate differentials still favour the dollar, and the ECB has room to sound dovish. Short with a tight stop above resistance. If the ECB surprises hawkish, I'm out.
A member’s illustrative scenario for discussion. Not a recommendation or advice from Klymb.
Disclosure: Short EUR/USD
Reports suggest OPEC+ is considering pushing back planned output increases. Brent reacted modestly; the market is balancing softer demand forecasts against supply discipline. For South Africa, oil prices feed directly into fuel prices and inflation, which in turn influences the SARB's room to cut.
The classic inverse relationship between gold and US real yields has been weaker than usual. Official-sector purchases and geopolitical hedging appear to be doing the heavy lifting. That makes gold less sensitive to rate expectations — until it isn't. If central-bank demand slows, the old relationship could reassert itself quickly. For SA traders: a firm gold price plus a weak rand has historically been a tailwind for local gold miners, but operational and electricity risks matter a lot at the company level.
Disclosure: Long gold via ETF
Got added to three Telegram groups this week promising 10% daily returns and "account management". Classic pattern: screenshots of huge wins, urgency, and eventually a request to deposit with their "broker". If it guarantees returns or asks you to send funds to unlock withdrawals, it's a scam. Check licences on the FSCA website.
Bought a small position in an ETF yesterday and I've checked it about 40 times. How do you all deal with this?
After two years of inconsistent results, journaling every trade changed everything. My columns: 1. Setup name and timeframe 2. Entry, stop, target, planned R:R
Consensus sees headline inflation edging lower. The swing factor is shelter, which lags market rents. Core services ex-shelter is what the Fed is watching most closely. A hot print would likely push back rate-cut expectations and support the dollar; a soft one would do the opposite and help risk assets and EM currencies like the rand.
Trend is intact with higher highs and higher lows. Price is pulling back to the rising 50-day average on lighter volume — a classic continuation setup. Long with a stop below the last swing low. Will reduce size ahead of CPI.
A member’s illustrative scenario for discussion. Not a recommendation or advice from Klymb.
Disclosure: Long SPY
I keep seeing ETH staking described as a yield. Where does it actually come from, and what are the risks compared with, say, a money-market fund? Also — how is staking income treated for tax in South Africa? (I know this isn't tax advice, just looking for the general idea.)
The discount to the underlying stake has narrowed from its widest levels, helped by the ongoing open-ended buyback programme. Bull case: continued buybacks, better capital allocation, and a recovery in the underlying holding. Bear case: regulatory risk on the underlying, and the discount is structural rather than cyclical.
Disclosure: Small position in NPN
Win rate alone tells you nothing. A strategy with a 60% win rate but losers twice the size of winners has negative expectancy. Expectancy = (Win% × Avg win) − (Loss% × Avg loss) And even positive-expectancy systems can hit long losing streaks. At 2% risk per trade, ten losses in a row is about an 18% drawdown. At 10% risk, it's catastrophic.
Got an annual bonus and debating whether to invest it all at once or spread it over 6 months. What do you do?
Capitec's valuation multiple is far above the other big banks. Is it purely growth, or is there something structural I'm missing?
Industry bodies keep forecasting deficits, yet prices have been range-bound. Hybrid-vehicle demand and lower South African output are the bull points; recycling and slower EV adoption assumptions cut both ways. SA PGM miners are highly leveraged to the basket price — big upside if it breaks out, painful if it doesn't.