Log in Open account

Basics

Open position

An open position is a trade that has been opened and not yet closed. Its result changes with every price move until it is closed, and it can incur swaps while it stays open overnight.

Also called: open trade, position, active trade, floating position

Hypothetical example

Hypothetically, you buy 0.1 lots of EUR/USD at 1.1000. While the position is open, a price of 1.1020 shows a $20 unrealised gain and a price of 1.0980 a $20 unrealised loss.

Used in these guides

Basics8 min read
Order types: market, limit and stop orders
How market and pending orders work, when each one fills, and what can make the fill price differ from the price you set.
Basics8 min read
Going long and short: how buy and sell trades work
A long trade gains if the price rises; a short trade gains if it falls. Both lose money when the price moves the other way.

Back to the glossary