What is a day profit and loss?
Day Profit/Loss (Day P/L) represents the daily profit or loss since the previous close of an instrument.
Do Currency Movements Affect Day P/L?
Yes. Intraday currency fluctuations impact Day P/L when a position is held in a currency different from your account currency. This can create a difference between Day P/L in instrument currency and Day P/L in account currency.
Example (Cash Instrument in AUD)
Assume you bought 100 shares of BHP Group Limited (AUD instrument) from a USD account:
- Previous day's closing price: AUD 50 per share
- Previous day's exchange rate (USD/AUD): 1.40
- Current BHP share price: AUD 51 (price increased)
- Current USD/AUD exchange rate: 1.35 (AUD appreciated)
This means:
- Day P/L in instrument currency = 100 × (51 – 50) = AUD 100
- Day P/L in account currency = 100 × [(51/1.35) – (50/1.40)] = USD 3,777 – USD 3,571 = USD 206
Even though the stock price rose, the P/L measured in USD is lower due to exchange rate fluctuations.
Are Trade Fees or Accruals Included in Day P/L?
No. Day P/L does NOT include costs, financing accruals, or corporate action adjustments.
When Is Day P/L Reset?
Day P/L resets at End-of-Day for all instruments.
Supported Asset Types for Day P/L
Day P/L is calculated for all assets except:
- FX Options
- FX Forwards
Why Might Day P/L for Positions Differ from 1-Day Return on Account Level?
Differences arise due to varying calculation methods:
- 1-Day Return tracks the change in Account Value from real-time Account Value vs the previous day’s Account Value.
- Day P/L tracks the daily profit/loss since the prior close of the instrument.
Other Factors That Can Cause Discrepancies
- Real-time vs delayed prices – The Account Value uses real-time data, while the Positions module may use delayed pricing (depending on your market data subscription).
- Different closing price definitions – The Account Value may use slightly different price sources compared to the Positions module.
- FX rate variations – If a position is traded in a currency different from the account base currency, exchange rate movements can influence return values.
- Accruals on account level – Financing costs and corporate actions affect Account Value but are NOT included in Day P/L calculations.
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