How to Calculate Lot Size for US30, NAS100 and Other Indices

Index CFDs look simple: the price moves in points, you pick a size. The catch is that what one lot is worth per point changes from broker to broker, and prop firms often set their own.

Value per point per lot

This is the number that matters. Common setups:

• $1 per point per lot: the most common for US30, NAS100 and SPX500
• $10 per point per lot: some brokers and futures-style contracts
• $0.10 per point per lot: micro contracts

Find yours in MetaTrader: right-click the symbol in Market Watch, open Specification, and look at the contract size (and tick value, if shown).

The formula

Lots = (balance × risk %) ÷ (|entry − stop| in points × value per point per lot)

Example: US30

• Balance $10,000, risk 1% = $100
• Sell at 42,150, stop at 42,200, so 50 points
• Broker pays $1 per point per lot

$100 ÷ (50 × $1) = 2.00 lots.

At a broker paying $10 per point, the same trade is 0.20 lots. Copy a lot size from someone at a different broker and you could be risking ten times your plan.

Example: NAS100

NAS100 moves more points per day than US30, so stops are wider in points.

• Risk $100, stop 40 points, $1 per point per lot
• $100 ÷ (40 × $1) = 2.50 lots

Indices priced in other currencies

GER40 (DAX), EU50 and FRA40 are priced in euros, UK100 in pounds, JP225 in yen. A USD account has to convert: €1 per point is roughly $1.08 per point at EUR/USD 1.08. The calculator does the conversion with the latest rate.

Size it

Pick your index, enter entry, stop and your broker's value per point: US30, NAS100, SPX500, GER40 or UK100. Not sure about points vs pips? Read pips vs points.