Bonuses

Stop-Out Level Calculator

Updated 31 October 2026 · Written by Broker Atlas Guides Desk · Data checked by Broker Atlas Data Desk

Short answer

You're stopped out when equity ÷ used margin × 100 falls to your broker's stop-out level. With one position and no other trades, the loss you can absorb is balance − margin × stop-out % , and the stop-out price is that loss turned back into a price move. Buying 1 lot of USD/JPY at 150.00 with $1,000 at 1:1000 and a 20% stop-out puts the stop-out at about 148.53, 147 pips away.

Stop-out price—

Results are estimates; actual terms vary by broker and account.

How to use it

  • Pair and Direction: the position you’re opening.
  • Lots and Entry price.
  • Balance (USD): the account’s equity before this trade, with no other positions open.
  • Leverage: the leverage applied to this instrument.
  • Stop-out level (margin level %): from your broker. It’s on its account-types or leverage page and in the client agreement.

The result is the price at which the margin level reaches the stop-out level, and the distance to it in pips.

The formula

  1. Margin = contract size × lots × price ÷ leverage (as in the margin calculator).
  2. Loss you can absorb = balance − margin × stop-out % ÷ 100.
  3. Price move = that loss ÷ (contract size × lots), and for USD/JPY × entry price to turn dollars back into yen.
  4. Stop-out price = entry − move for a buy, entry + move for a sell.

If the loss you can absorb is zero or less, the result shows “—”: the trade would be stopped out immediately.

Worked examples

Example 1: USD/JPY buy. 1 lot at 150.00, balance $1,000, leverage 1:1000, stop-out 20%. Margin = 100,000 ÷ 1,000 = $100. Loss you can absorb = 1,000 − 100 × 20% = $980. Move = 980 × 150 ÷ 100,000 = 1.47 yen. Stop-out price = 150.00 − 1.47 = 148.53, 147 pips away.

Example 2: EUR/USD sell. 0.5 lots at 1.0800, balance $800, leverage 1:500, stop-out 50%. Margin = 100,000 × 0.5 × 1.08 ÷ 500 = $108. Loss you can absorb = 800 − 108 × 50% = $746. Move = 746 ÷ 50,000 = 0.01492. Stop-out price = 1.0800 + 0.01492 = 1.09492, 149.2 pips away.

What the result means, and its limits

The stop-out price is where the broker starts closing positions, not a stop you chose. Treat it as the point you must never let a trade reach; your own stop-loss should be well before it. A planned stop also limits the loss to an amount you picked, which a stop-out doesn’t.

The calculator simplifies:

  • Spread and swap. You open at the ask (buy) or bid (sell), and stop-outs are triggered on the closing side, so the real level is a little closer. Swap shifts it over time.
  • Margin changes with price. On EUR/USD and gold, used margin moves with the rate; on USD/JPY your broker converts at the current rate. The calculator fixes margin at the entry price.
  • Several positions. Most brokers close the largest losing position first and re-check, so with several trades the sequence is different. Use the margin level calculator for account totals.
  • Gaps. Over a weekend or a high-impact release price can jump past the level, and the fill comes later than the calculator suggests.

Where the stop-out levels come from

Brokers set them per account type: Axi states 20% on MT4/MT5 (Axi leverage), AXIORY 20% and 0% on Max and Zero accounts (AXIORY leverage). A lower stop-out lets trades run further, so losses before closure are bigger. What happens if the balance goes below zero depends on negative balance protection: read negative balance protection explained and see which brokers state it in the negative balance protection comparison. The mechanics of margin call and stop-out are in margin level explained; leverage limits are in the high leverage comparison.

Frequently asked questions

What stop-out level should I enter?

The one your broker publishes for your account type. Axi, for example, states 20% on MT4/MT5; AXIORY states 20%, or 0% on its Max and Zero accounts. Check your broker's leverage or account-types page.

Can I lose more than my balance if I'm stopped out?

Yes, if price gaps past the stop-out level. Whether the broker then resets your negative balance to zero depends on its negative balance protection terms.

Why does higher leverage move the stop-out price further away?

Because higher leverage means less used margin, so the equity threshold is lower and the trade can lose more before it's closed. The loss per pip is the same.

Does the calculator work with several open trades?

No. It assumes one position and that your balance equals your equity at entry. With several trades, use the margin level calculator on the account's totals.