Fixed Fractional

Fixed Fractional is a risk management and position sizing technique used in trading to determine the appropriate amount of capital to allocate to each trade. It’s a more disciplined approach than arbitrary position sizing, aiming to protect capital while still allowing for proportional growth. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of Fixed Fractional, suitable for beginners in futures trading and other financial markets.

Core Principles

The central idea behind Fixed Fractional is to risk a fixed percentage of your total trading capital on each trade. This percentage remains constant, regardless of the price of the asset or your account balance. This contrasts with Fixed Amount, where a set dollar amount is risked per trade.

The core formula is:

Position Size = (Capital * Risk Percentage) / Risk per Share/Contract

Where:

Capital is your total trading account balance.
Risk Percentage is the predetermined percentage of your capital you are willing to risk on a single trade (e.g., 1%, 2%, or 0.5%).
Risk per Share/Contract is the amount you’re willing to lose *per share* (in stocks) or *per contract* (in futures or options) if your stop-loss is hit. This is determined by the distance between your entry price and your stop-loss order.

Why Use Fixed Fractional?

Capital Preservation: By limiting the risk per trade, Fixed Fractional helps protect your capital from ruinous losses. This is crucial for long-term trading psychology and sustainability.
Compounding: It allows for consistent compounding of profits. As your account grows, the size of your trades increases proportionally, accelerating potential gains.
Discipline: It enforces a disciplined approach to trading, removing emotional decision-making regarding position size. This is vital for adhering to a trading plan.
Adaptability: It automatically adjusts to your account size. As your capital increases, your position sizes increase, and vice-versa. This is helpful when implementing a swing trading or day trading strategy.
Reduced Emotional Trading: Limits over-leveraging and reduces the impact of a single losing trade. Understanding leverage is critical when using this method.

Calculating Position Size – Examples

Let's illustrate with examples, focusing on futures contracts:

Example 1: Conservative Approach

Capital: $10,000
Risk Percentage: 1% ($100)
Futures Contract: Crude Oil (CL)
Risk per Contract: $500 (determined by stop-loss placement)

Position Size = ($10,000 * 0.01) / $500 = 0.2 contracts. Since you can't trade fractions of contracts, you’d likely trade 0 contracts, or potentially adjust your stop-loss to allow for a single contract.

Example 2: Moderate Approach

Capital: $20,000
Risk Percentage: 2% ($400)
Futures Contract: E-mini S&P 500 (ES)
Risk per Contract: $200

Position Size = ($20,000 * 0.02) / $200 = 2 contracts.

Example 3: Aggressive Approach (Not Recommended for Beginners)

Capital: $50,000
Risk Percentage: 5% ($2,500)
Futures Contract: Gold (GC)
Risk per Contract: $500

Position Size = ($50,000 * 0.05) / $500 = 5 contracts.

Choosing the Right Risk Percentage

The appropriate risk percentage depends on your:

Risk Tolerance: How comfortable are you with potential losses?
Trading Strategy: Scalping strategies might use lower percentages, while trend following could accommodate slightly higher ones.
Win Rate: Strategies with lower win rates require smaller risk percentages. Understanding your profit factor is essential.
Market Volatility: Higher volatility necessitates lower risk percentages. Consider using ATR (Average True Range) to gauge volatility.
Account Size: Smaller accounts might require slightly higher percentages, but caution is advised.

Generally, beginners should start with a conservative 1% or 0.5% risk percentage. As they gain experience and a proven track record, they can gradually increase it, while always prioritizing risk-reward ratio.