Question on using ATR for position sizing with wider stop losses

asked by u/nguyen_do · 15d · 2 answers

I'm still trying to nail down my risk management and keep seeing ATR mentioned for position sizing. My issue is, sometimes my setups, especially on higher timeframes for $EURUSD or $GBPUSD, naturally have wider stop losses based on structure – maybe 70-100 pips. If I stick to a strict '1 ATR for stop' rule for sizing, it often means I'm taking a much smaller position than I'd like, or it feels like I'm arbitrarily shrinking my stop to fit the ATR. Am I misunderstanding how to integrate structural stops with ATR-based sizing, or should I be looking at a different metric when my stops are inherently larger than average daily volatility?

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Top answers

  • u/nelson_amanda· 1 pts· 15d

    You're right, blindly sticking to 1 ATR for stop with a fixed percentage risk can significantly reduce position size on wider stops. Perhaps consider adjusting your risk percentage for those wider-stop setups, or use a multiple of ATR that aligns with your typical structural stop distance.

  • u/ahmed_k· 1 pts· 15d

    I've run into this too! It feels like ATR can sometimes undersize positions on those higher timeframe structural stops. Have you tried adjusting the multiplier, like using 0.5 ATR or 1.5 ATR for your stop instead of exactly 1 ATR, to see how that impacts your position size while keeping the same risk percentage?

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