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  • Trailing Stop in MT4

    Video Transcript

    Trailing Stop in MT4

    Stop Loss is intended for reducing of losses where the currency price moves in an unprofitable direction. If the position becomes profitable, Stop Loss can be manually shifted to a break-even level. To automate this process, Trailing Stop was created. This tool is especially useful when price changes strongly in the same direction or when it is impossible to watch the market continuously for some reason.

    Trailing Stop is always attached to an open position and works in client terminal, not at the server like Stop Loss, for example. To set the trailing stop, you have to execute the open position context menu command of the same name in the "Terminal" window. Then you have to select the desirable value of distance between the Stop Loss level and the current price in the list opened. Only one trailing stop can be set for each open position.

    After the above actions have been performed, at incoming of new quotes, the terminal checks whether the open position is profitable. As soon as profit in points becomes equal to or higher than the specified level, command to place the Stop Loss order will be given automatically. The order level is set at the specified distance from the current price. Further, if price changes in the more profitable direction, trailing stop will make the Stop Loss level follow the price automatically, but if profitability of the position falls, the order will not be modified anymore. Thus, the profit of the trade position is fixed automatically. After each automatic Stop Loss order modification, a record will be made in the terminal journal.

    Trailing stop can be disabled by setting "None" in managing menu. And trailing stops of all open positions and pending orders will be disabled if the "Delete All" command of the same menu has been executed.

    Trailing Stop works in the your terminal, not in the server (like Stop Loss or Take Profit). This is why it will not work, unlike the above orders, if your MT4 is off. In this case, only the Stop Loss level will trigger that has been set by trailing stop.

    Trailing Stop is processed once per tick. If multiple orders with Trailing Stop are open for one symbol, only the trailing stop of the latest open order is processed.