How do I calculate R on a gold trade?

R is the distance from entry to your initial stop. Divide the profit or loss distance by that number to express the result in R.

Is R the same as risk percent?

No. R is the trade risk unit; risk percent is how much of the account that unit represents. Most desks fix risk percent so every R is the same cash amount.

What if I move my stop?

R stays anchored to the initial stop set at entry. Moving stops changes the outcome, not the denominator.

What R-multiple should I target on gold?

Whatever the setup actually delivers in your data. Targets chosen for their neatness rather than measured behaviour are how good systems get ruined.

WHAT IS AN R-MULTIPLE?

An R-multiple expresses a trade result as a multiple of the risk taken, where one R equals the planned loss from entry to the initial stop. A gold trade that returns twice its risk is plus two R and a clean stop-out is minus one R, which makes outcomes comparable regardless of lot size or account balance.

This matters more on XAUUSD than on most instruments because gold stop distances vary widely with volatility, from a few dollars in a quiet week to double digits around FOMC. Measured in dollars those trades cannot be compared; measured in R they can. R must be anchored to the stop set at entry, and slippage beyond the stop should be recorded as worse than minus one R rather than rounded back.