UK100
UK100 Lot Size: How to Calculate Position Size on the FTSE 100, Step by Step
On most retail CFD platforms, 1.0 lot of UK100 moves £1 for every point the FTSE 100 moves, so 0.10 lot is £0.10 per point and 0.01 lot is £0.01 per point. Calculating your UK100 lot size is four steps: decide the money you will risk, measure the stop in full index points, divide, and round down.
This Education guide walks through each step with worked examples in pounds, shows how far the FTSE 100 really moves in a day (from official closing data, so your stop is not inside normal noise), gives lot size tables for £500 to £25,000 accounts, and explains the decimals and futures traps. Every number uses the same preset as the free SIWAI UK100 lot size calculator, so you can rerun any example with your own stop.
What one lot of UK100 is
UK100 is the symbol many MetaTrader brokers use for a CFD on the FTSE 100, the index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, weighted by market capitalization. An index CFD lot is not a number of shares. It is a contract size: a multiplier the broker applies to every point the index moves.
The usual retail setting is a contract size of 1 with profit in GBP. Tickmill's UK100 instrument page is one public example of how brokers list the symbol. With a pound quote and a contract size of 1:
- 1.00 lot pays £1 per index point
- 0.10 lot pays £0.10 per index point
- 0.01 lot pays £0.01 per index point
What 0.01, 0.10 and 1.0 lot of UK100 are worth per move
The table scales in a straight line: lots times points equals pounds. Spread, commission and overnight financing come on top.
| Lot size | 1 point | 50 points | 100 points | 250 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.01 | £0.01 | £0.50 | £1 | £2.50 |
| 0.10 | £0.10 | £5 | £10 | £25 |
| 0.50 | £0.50 | £25 | £50 | £125 |
| 1.00 | £1 | £50 | £100 | £250 |
If your account is in US dollars, convert before you size. At the November 2, 2026 ECB reference cross via Frankfurter (GBPUSD 1.3419), £1 per point is about $1.34 per point on 1.0 lot. Convert your risk money into pounds, or convert the point value into dollars, then divide. Do not mix currencies in the same formula.
How far the FTSE 100 moves in a day
Before you size anything, you need a sense of normal movement, because a stop that sits inside ordinary daily noise gets hit for no reason. We measured the size of the daily close to close move using Yahoo Finance closes for the FTSE 100 (^FTSE). The index closed at 10,666.76 on November 3, 2026.
| Window (to Nov 3, 2026) | Average daily move | Median daily move | Average in percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last 3 months (63 sessions) | 47.3 points | 33.2 points | 0.44% |
| Last 1 year (253 sessions) | 56.8 points | 41.2 points | 0.55% |
Three months here means the 63 trading days ending November 3, 2026, measured close to close, so intraday ranges are larger. The largest single day in the year was March 3, 2026, when the FTSE 100 fell 296.0 points (2.75%).
Compare that with US index CFDs that also pay $1 per point on 1.0 lot. Over recent months the Nasdaq 100 averaged a few hundred points a day and the Dow a similar count, while the FTSE 100 averaged under 50 points. A 50 point UK100 stop is already above a median day, so it can work on a daily setup. The same 50 point stop on NAS100 is a small fraction of a median day and belongs on a short timeframe chart. See the NAS100 lot size guide and the US30 lot size guide for the US side by side numbers.
How to calculate UK100 lot size in four steps
- Risk money. Account equity × risk percent. £5,000 at 1% is £50.
- Stop distance in full index points. Entry minus stop for a long, stop minus entry for a short. Put the stop where the setup is proven wrong, for example under the last higher low before a breakout, not at a round number of pounds.
- Divide. Lots = risk money ÷ (stop points × £1 per point per lot).
- Round down to your broker's volume step, usually 0.01 lot. Never round up, or you risk more than you planned.
Worked example. A £5,000 account risks 1%, so £50. A breakout buy has its stop 50 index points below the entry (a bit above the recent median day). £50 ÷ (50 × £1) = 1.00 lot. If price hits the stop you lose about £50 plus costs. With a target at twice the risk (100 points), a win pays about £100.
Same account, wider stop. A swing trade with a 100 point stop gives £50 ÷ 100 = 0.50 lot. The pound risk stays at £50; only the lot shrinks.
The lot controls the loss; the payoff decides whether the trade is worth taking. Check the ratio first with the risk reward calculator and our guide on how to calculate risk reward ratio.
UK100 lot size tables for £500 to £25,000 at 1% risk
Lots at 1% risk, rounded down to 0.01, for four stop distances in full index points.
| Account | Risk at 1% | 50 pt stop | 100 pt stop | 200 pt stop | 300 pt stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £500 | £5 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| £1,000 | £10 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.03 |
| £2,500 | £25 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| £5,000 | £50 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.16 |
| £10,000 | £100 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.33 |
| £25,000 | £250 | 5.00 | 2.50 | 1.25 | 0.83 |
Notice the pattern: double the stop and the lot halves, double the account and the lot doubles. Even a £500 account can size a 200 point FTSE stop at 1%, because 0.01 lot only risks £0.01 per point. For smaller accounts and more instruments side by side, see How Many Lots Can I Trade With $100, $500 or $1,000?.
Rerun any row with your exact stop on the UK100 lots calculator, or use the position size calculator if you trade the FTSE next to forex pairs on the same risk rule.
Two traps: platform decimals and futures math
Some platforms quote the index with one decimal and treat that decimal as a "point" in the order ticket. If your stop is 50 full index points and the ticket thinks in tenths, you must enter 500, not 50, or the risk math collapses. Always size from full index points (10,666 to 10,616 is 50 points), then translate into whatever unit the ticket uses.
Exchange traded FTSE futures are a different product. The ICE Futures Europe FTSE 100 Index Future is valued at £10 per index point (tick 0.5 equals £5). One futures contract therefore moves like 10.0 CFD lots on a contract size of 1. In the worked example above, a 50 point stop on a single ICE contract risks £500, which is 10% of a £5,000 account, ten times the 1% plan. Never reuse futures sizing on a CFD account, or the reverse.
Check your broker before the first live UK100 order
A contract size of 1 with profit in GBP is common, not universal. In MetaTrader, right click the symbol in Market Watch and open Specification (the MetaTrader 5 help explains the window). Look for:
- Contract size: if it says 10 instead of 1, every value in this guide is ten times larger per lot, so divide the lots in the tables by 10.
- Profit currency: UK100 should settle in GBP. If your broker quotes the CFD in USD, convert using the current GBPUSD rate before you divide.
- Digits and tick size: how many decimals one platform point is.
- Tick value: money per tick on 1.0 lot, a one number check of the math.
- Minimal volume and volume step: how far you must round down.
Leverage does not change your loss per point; it only changes the margin your broker holds. Margin is roughly lots × contract size × index level ÷ leverage. At the November 3, 2026 close of 10,666.76, 1.0 lot controls about £10,667 of index exposure, and at the 20:1 cap on major indices set by ESMA's CFD product intervention measures for EU retail clients, the margin is about £533.
Trading US indices too? The NAS100 lot size guide and the US30 lot size guide use the same four steps with a dollar point value. For forex pairs next to the FTSE, start with the forex lot size guide and the lots calculator hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is 1 lot of UK100?
On most CFD platforms with a contract size of 1 and profit in GBP, 1.0 lot of UK100 pays £1 for every point the FTSE 100 moves, so a 100 point move is £100. Some brokers use a different contract size or quote in USD, so check Contract size and Profit currency in your platform Specification first.
How much is 0.01 lot of UK100 worth?
At £1 per point per 1.0 lot, 0.01 lot of UK100 is worth £0.01 per index point. A 200 point move changes your profit or loss by £2, before spread, commission and financing.
How do I calculate UK100 lot size?
Lots = (account equity × risk percent) ÷ (stop in full index points × £1). Round down to your broker volume step. Example: £5,000 at 1% with a 50 point stop is £50 ÷ 50 = 1.00 lot.
Is UK100 the same as the FTSE 100?
UK100 is the retail CFD symbol most brokers use for the FTSE 100, the index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. The CFD tracks the index with the broker contract size; it is not a share of an ETF.
How far does the FTSE 100 move in a day?
Over the 63 sessions to November 3, 2026, the FTSE 100 averaged 47.3 points a day close to close (median 33.2, or 0.44%). Over one year the average was 56.8 points (median 41.2). The largest day in that year was March 3, 2026, down 296.0 points (2.75%).
Is UK100 lot size the same as NAS100 or US30?
The formula is the same shape, but UK100 pays in pounds (£1 per point on 1.0 lot) while NAS100 and US30 usually pay $1 per point. The FTSE 100 also moves fewer points a day than the Nasdaq 100 or the Dow, so a sensible stop is often tighter in points and the lot looks larger for the same risk money.
Risk Disclaimer: Trading stocks, options, futures, forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. You should carefully consider your financial situation and risk tolerance before trading. Never trade with money you cannot afford to lose. Index CFD contract sizes, tick values and minimum volumes vary by broker. Confirm the Specification on your platform before sizing a live order. Index statistics are calculated from Yahoo Finance daily closes for ^FTSE and describe the past, not future moves.