NZDUSD position size calculator
Size a New Zealand dollar trade from your risk and stop: 100,000 NZD per lot, $10 a pip, converted at the pair's price on an NZD account.
How sizing works on the Kiwi
NZDUSD is the price of one New Zealand dollar in US dollars. A lot is 100,000 New Zealand dollars, a pip is 0.0001, and one pip on one lot is $10 on a USD account — $0.10 on 0.01 lot. On an NZD account the calculator converts the dollar loss at the NZDUSD price you type: at 0.5800 a pip per lot is $10 ÷ 0.58 = NZ$17.24. The lower the NZDUSD price, the more New Zealand dollars each pip costs, which is why NZD accounts trade fewer lots for the same percentage risk.
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Contract size | 100,000 New Zealand dollars per lot |
| Pip | 0.0001 |
| Value per pip, 1.0 lot, USD account | $10 |
| Value per pip, 1.0 lot, NZD account at 0.5800 | NZ$17.24 |
| Value per pip, 0.01 lot, USD account | $0.10 |
| Quote currency | US dollar |
| Trading hours | 24 hours, Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 New York |
| Home session | Wellington opens the forex week; RBNZ decisions at 14:00 Wellington time |
A worked example: $5,000 account, 16-pip stop
A $5,000 USD account risking 1% has $50 to lose. With a 16-pip stop one lot loses 16 × $10 = $160, so 50 ÷ 160 = 0.3125 lots, rounded down to 0.31 lots — an actual risk of $49.60.
On an NZ$5,000 account at 0.5800 the risk is NZ$50. One lot loses 16 × NZ$17.24 = NZ$275.86, the raw size is 0.181 and the position 0.18 lots, risking NZ$49.66. On small accounts the 0.01 step matters: here it trims a little of the planned risk, and with a tighter budget the minimum lot can risk more than you allowed — the calculator warns you when it does.
Volatility and typical stops
NZDUSD is one of the smaller majors by volume. Its daily range in pips is usually modest, often close to or below AUDUSD's, and it tends to move with the Australian dollar, dairy and commodity prices and global risk appetite. Liquidity is thinner, so spreads can be wider than on EURUSD, especially at the Monday open and around the daily rollover. Intraday stops of 10 to 25 pips are common; on tight stops add the spread to the distance.
Sessions and Kill Zones for the Kiwi
The forex week starts in Wellington: Sunday 17:00 New York time is already Monday morning in New Zealand. Statistics New Zealand publishes most releases at 10:45 Wellington — 16:45 to 18:45 New York time, before the Asian Kill Zone (20:00–00:00 New York time). The London (02:00–05:00) and New York AM (07:00–10:00) Kill Zones then add US data and most of the day's liquidity. Convert the windows to your clock with the Kill Zone converter; today's sessions and news are on the NZDUSD market page.
Common NZDUSD sizing mistakes
- Assuming a quiet pair needs no sizing. The pip is still $10 per lot: 0.50 lots on a 30-pip stop risks $150 whatever the pair.
- Comparing it with gold by pips. Gold also pays $10 per pip per lot here, but its stops run to tens or hundreds of pips, so reusing an NZDUSD lot on gold multiplies the risk.
- Sizing an NZD account at $10 a pip. At 0.5800 that risks about 72% more than planned.
- Holding over the Monday open with a stop sized on Friday's spread, when the first hour is often the thinnest of the week.
For the Australian dollar see the AUDUSD calculator; the method is in how to calculate position size.
Frequently asked questions
How much is one pip on NZDUSD?
$10 per standard lot and $0.10 per 0.01 lot on a USD account; about NZ$17.24 per lot on an NZD account at 0.5800.
Why are NZDUSD and AUDUSD often traded together?
The two economies and currencies are closely linked, so the pairs often move in the same direction. Holding both at full risk can double the exposure to one idea, so many traders size them as one position.
What is the smallest NZDUSD trade the calculator allows?
0.01 lot, worth $0.10 a pip on a USD account. If even that risks more than your plan at the stop you entered, the calculator shows a warning instead of a size.