Enter your entry price, side, quantity and your stop-loss and take-profit percentages to get exact exit prices, your potential loss and profit, and the risk/reward ratio for the trade.
Nothing here is financial advice. Numbers are estimates and ignore trading fees, slippage, funding and taxes.
How to set stop-loss and take-profit
A stop-loss and take-profit turn a trade into a plan: you decide before you enter where you'll get out if you're wrong and where you'll take the win. Discipline matters more than the exact levels — the point is to remove in-the-moment emotion. Size your percentages to the asset's volatility: a stock that moves 1% a day needs tighter stops than a crypto that swings 8%, otherwise normal noise will knock you out. A common starting point is a stop that's smaller than your target, so the reward outweighs the risk.
The formula
For a long trade you profit when price rises, so your stop sits below entry and your target above it: stop-loss price = entry × (1 − sl%/100), take-profit price = entry × (1 + tp%/100). For a short trade it's mirrored — you profit when price falls, so your stop sits above entry and your target below: stop-loss price = entry × (1 + sl%/100), take-profit price = entry × (1 − tp%/100). Potential loss = |entry − stop price| × quantity, potential profit = |take price − entry| × quantity, and the risk/reward ratio is potential profit ÷ potential loss, shown as 1 : x.
FAQ
What is a stop-loss?
A stop-loss is a preset exit price that closes your trade to cap the loss if the market moves against you. On a long it sits below your entry; on a short it sits above. It's the price at which you admit the trade is wrong and get out.
What is take-profit?
A take-profit is a preset exit price that locks in your gain when the trade goes your way. It removes the temptation to hold too long and give profits back. On a long it's above entry; on a short it's below.
How do I choose the percentages?
Base them on the asset's volatility and your risk tolerance, not on a round number. Your stop should be far enough that ordinary price noise won't trigger it, but close enough that a real breakdown limits the damage. Many traders aim for a take-profit that's at least twice the stop distance for a favourable risk/reward.
Long vs short — how do exits differ?
They're mirror images. On a long you're betting price rises, so the stop is below entry and the target is above. On a short you're betting price falls, so the stop is above entry and the target is below. The profit and loss math is the same distance-times-quantity in both cases.
Does this work for stocks and crypto?
Yes — it's asset-agnostic. Because it works from a price, a side, a quantity and percentages, it applies to any market: stocks, ETFs, crypto, forex or futures. Just use the right unit for quantity (shares, coins or contracts).
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