Risk Academy
At the stop, −$71.60 became about −$2.70. The stop never moved.
Moving the stop is the usual way to protect a trade in profit. There is a second way that leaves the stop exactly where it is: close part of the position. The stop stays, the size shrinks, and so does what the stop can cost you. So does what the target can pay.
The trade in the film
- XAUUSD sell, 0.10 lot, entry 4129.32 on MT5 mobile. Stop 4136.48: MT5 showed −$71.60 at the stop. Target 4115.60: +$137.20.
- Partial close: 0.05 of the 0.10 closed at 4122.70. MT5's History shows $33.10 realised. The close button had said $32.85; the order waited in the queue and filled slightly better. It can go either way.
- The remaining 0.05, the runner, kept the same stop at 4136.48. With half the size, MT5 now showed −$35.80 at the stop.
- Net at the stop: +$33.10 realised, −$35.80 on the runner, about −$2.70 in total. If the target is hit: $33.10 plus $68.60 is about $101.70, against $137.20 for the full position.
Why it landed near zero, and when it will not
The arithmetic is short. Close a fraction of the position while it is in profit, and at the stop you are left with what that fraction realised, minus what the rest still loses:
net at the stop = closed share × open profit − remaining share × loss at the stop
In the film the open profit at the moment of closing, about $66 on the full position, happened to be close to the stop distance, $71.60. That is the only reason it came out near zero. Close half of a smaller winner and the net at the stop stays clearly negative; close half of a bigger one and it turns positive.
| Close half when open profit is | Realised | Runner at the stop | Net at the stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| +$36.00 | +$18.00 | −$35.80 | −$17.80 |
| +$66.20(the film) | +$33.10 | −$35.80 | −$2.70 |
| +$100.00 | +$50.00 | −$35.80 | +$14.20 |
Partial close or moving the stop
Move the stop
The whole position stays on, and it exits sooner. You keep the full upside if the move continues, and give an ordinary pullback less room to reach the stop.
Close part of it
The stop keeps all its room, and less size sits behind it. You bank part of the profit now and give up part of the upside if the move continues.
It is a sizing decision, not a stop decision, and the two can be combined. How far a stop should trail is its own question: trailing your stop.
Doing it, and what it does not do
- On MT5 mobile: open the position, choose Close position, and reduce the volume before confirming. The button then reads "Close partially". MetaQuotes' help states that a position can be closed fully or partially, depending on the volume closed.
- Partial does not mean half. Half is just the example. You choose how much to close, in the lot steps the instrument and your broker allow. A position already at the minimum lot size cannot be split.
- It is not risk-free. The stop on the runner is still a stop: when it triggers it becomes a market order, and a gap or a fast market can fill it worse than its price.
- Costs are separate. This account showed zero commission and swap on the trade; yours may not, and they come off the result either way.
Size decides what the stop costs
Sources
- MetaTrader 5 for Android Help, Opening and Closing Positions
- MetaTrader 5 for Android Help, Types of Orders: how stop orders are executed
- The trade in the film: screen recordings of MT5 mobile, 28 September 2026, including the History entry. Checked 29 September 2026.
Educational content only, not financial advice. Nothing here is a trade idea, and no position size or exit on this site is a recommendation. Execution and available volumes vary by broker and instrument.