IC Markets
Gold Trading Explained
3:43 · 7 chapters · gold trading series, part 1 of 5
What you'll learn
XAU/USD from zero: how the gold quote works, what one lot of gold really is, what moves the gold price, when it is most active and what a gold trade costs.
Go further with our gold trading guide, size a trade with the free gold lot size calculator, or see these ideas on today's chart in our daily gold analysis.
- Key point 1
- XAU/USD is the price of one troy ounce (31.1 g) in US dollars
- Key point 2
- 1 standard lot is usually 100 oz, so a $1 move = $100; mini $10, micro $1
- Key point 3
- Drivers: the US dollar, real yields, safe-haven demand, central banks, US data
- Key point 4
- Busiest: the London and New York overlap; spreads can widen at the New York close
- Key point 5
- Costs: spread, commission and overnight swap
Contract facts from exchange and regulator rules; every price and account size in the video is an example. Education, not financial advice.
The rest of the gold series
The video is presented by an animated host with a computer-generated voice; the research and checks are by the FX Recap team. Risk warning: forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of losing money because of leverage, and most retail accounts lose money. This is education and review, not financial advice. FX Recap may earn a commission from some broker links; see our affiliate disclosure.