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Why do some trades show a negative profit?
Why do some trades show a negative profit?

A minus sign (-) in "Profit" doesn’t always mean a loss. Learn why it happens and how to interpret your trade results correctly.

Updated over a week ago

Usually, you see profits like this on the History page. Profit in displayed in the selected currency (normally the Quote currency):

1. Why are some profits displayed as negative?

Sometimes, you may see a negative value next to a positive one in either the Base currency or the Quote currency of the trading pair.

Good News: This is a normal occurrence and does not necessarily mean you lost money!

  • The final profit calculation (shown in $) includes all fees and adjustments.

  • If the total profit in $ is green and positive, the trade closed in profit despite any negative values shown in other currencies.

💡 Why does this happen?

  • Exchange trading fees affect final amounts.

  • Exchange-imposed price or volume limits can slightly alter transactions.

2. Exchange limitations on order size & price steps

Some exchanges do not allow fractional order sizes or small price steps, which can lead to minor discrepancies:

Example 1: Order Size Limits

  • Your bot wants to buy 10.5 KEY, but the exchange only allows whole numbers (e.g., 10 or 11 KEY).

  • If the bot buys less (10 KEY) → A negative amount appears in KEY, but a positive balance appears in the quote currency.

  • If the bot buys more (11 KEY) → A negative amount appears in the quote currency, but a positive balance appears in KEY.

Example 2: Price Step Limits

  • Your bot wants to buy 10 KEY at $0.015, but the exchange only supports $0.01 or $0.02 price steps.

  • If the bot buys at $0.01, the profit calculation may be positive.

  • If the bot buys at $0.02, the profit calculation may be negative due to the higher cost.

💡 How to minimize this effect?

  • Use BNB to pay fees (if trading on Binance).

  • Set Take Profit in the Quote currency to avoid rounding issues.

  • Increase order size slightly to reduce rounding effects.

3. When does a negative profit indicate a real loss?

If both profit values (in Base and Quote currencies) are negative, it means the trade closed at a loss.

This only happens when using Market Take Profit, Conditional Take Profit, or Trailing Take Profit.

The sell order was executed, but due to market conditions, it sold at a lower price than the average buy price.

💡 Why does this happen?

  • 📉 A sudden price drop affected the market.

  • 📉 A low order book meant there weren’t enough buy orders to fill at a favorable price.

  • 📉 A very large order size caused slippage.

  • 📉 Take Profit % was too low, not accounting for fees or slippage.

  • 📉 Trailing Take Profit % was too high, letting the price drop before activating.


Summary: What you should know

  • A negative profit in one currency is normal—it’s just an effect of trading fees and exchange rules.

  • Always check the final profit in $ to determine if the trade was successful.

  • A negative profit in both currencies means a real loss, often due to market conditions or strategy settings.

  • To minimize issues:

    • Hold BNB to pay fees on Binance.

    • Set Take Profit in Quote currency.

    • Use reasonable order sizes to avoid rounding issues.

    • Ensure Trailing Take Profit % is not too high compared to Take Profit %.

If you have any doubts, review your trade details and adjust your strategy accordingly. 🚀

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