Calculation of real leverage? (solved)

You know your account leverage when you open your account, right? Why need to calculate it separately?

I know the max leverage I am allowed to use, not the one I am currently using. For example, I might be allowed to use 1:500 but want to use only 1:5.

Even more, I might want to decrease my lotsizes as I approach that number, or I might want to control exposure changes due to currency fluctuations.

That is why knowing the real leverage used in the account is important.

double real_leverage =  {total value of the open trades}/AccountEquity();

order value = (OrderClosePrice - OrderOpenPrice)*DIR * OrderLots * DeltaValuePerLot( OrderSymbol )

To prevent a margin call you must verify that there will be free margin at MAE. Contract Size - MQL4 forum

Aren't free margin required showed when you open any buy/sell orders? Can't we just use that?

Hi @WHRoeder,

Thanks for your reply, it has been very useful. Kindly note I want the total trade size, not the current value of the trades. This is how I have coded the two functions:

/**
* Returns the total leverage used in the account at the time
* @return   double
*/
double GetRealLeverageInUse2()
{
   double exposure     = 0;
   double equity       = AccountEquity();
   string basecurrency = AccountCurrency();
   if(equity <= 0) return(0);
        for(int i = OrdersTotal()-1; i >= 0; i--)
        {
                if(OrderSelect(i, SELECT_BY_POS, MODE_TRADES))
                { 
                   // Pair 
                   string symbol = OrderSymbol();
                   
         // Lots traded
                   double lots   = OrderLots();
                   
                   // Contract size in currency
                   double size_in_currency_base        = SymbolInfoDouble(symbol, SYMBOL_TRADE_CONTRACT_SIZE)*lots;
                   string currency_base_for_trade      = SymbolInfoString(symbol, SYMBOL_CURRENCY_BASE);
                   double trade_size_in_local_currency = DeltaValuePerLot(symbol)*lots;
                   Print(lots +" of "+ symbol +" are "+ size_in_currency_base +" in size ("+ currency_base_for_trade +"), "+
                         "and "+ trade_size_in_local_currency +" in base currency ("+ basecurrency +")");
   
         // Add to exposure
                   exposure += trade_size_in_local_currency;
      }
   }
   return(exposure/equity);
}

/**
* Returns the base currency value per lot
* @param    string   pair
* @return   double
*/
double DeltaValuePerLot(string pair="")
{
    if(pair == "") pair = Symbol();
    return(MarketInfo(pair, MODE_TICKVALUE)/MarketInfo(pair, MODE_TICKSIZE)); 
}

However, it does not seem to work as it should. When I backtest EURUSD with an EUR account...

When I backest EURUSD with and USD account...

And when I backtest USDCHF with an USD account...

I believe these numbers are not right.

0.02 lots of EURUSD are always 2,000€ of trade size on an EUR accont.

0.02 lots of USDCHF are always 2,000$ of trade size on an USD account.

And the trade size for 0.02 lots of EURUSD on the USD account should be around 2,700$ instead of 1,400$.

Am I doing something wrong? Maybe DeltaValuePerLot() needs a change? Kindly clarify =)

Thanks in advance =)

A.

No. Suppose that the broker gives you a leverage of 1:500 but you have a conservative investor who wants to use only 1:3.

This forces you to calculate the leverage currently used and stop trading there, even if you have plenty of free margin left.

Are you over-complicating the thinking here?

I have no open orders so I cannot test, but I think that this should do the job

   double equity =AccountInfoDouble(ACCOUNT_EQUITY);
   double margin_used =AccountInfoDouble(ACCOUNT_MARGIN);
   int leverage =(int)AccountInfoInteger(ACCOUNT_LEVERAGE);
   double real_leverage = margin_used/equity*leverage;
   Print(real_leverage);

Please forgive me if I am wrong :)

Hi GumRai,

Thanks for your message. You were right, I was over-complicating things =D This works. The other issue now is that I do not want to consider hedging in my leverage calculation.

I will update the functions and post it. Thanks!