Losses and gains are not symmetric. Down 50% needs +100% to get back to flat; down 80% needs +400%. This is the arithmetic behind every rule about risk per trade.
| Drawdown | Gain to break even | Asymmetry | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 5.3% | 1.05× | Routine |
| 10% | 11.1% | 1.11× | Routine |
| 15% | 17.6% | 1.18× | Manageable |
| 20% | 25.0% | 1.25× | Manageable |
| 25% | 33.3% | 1.33× | Manageable |
| 30% | 42.9% | 1.43× | Challenging |
| 40% | 66.7% | 1.67× | Challenging |
| 50% | 100.0% | 2.00× | Difficult |
| 60% | 150.0% | 2.50× | Difficult |
| 70% | 233.3% | 3.33× | Very difficult |
| 80% | 400.0% | 5.00× | Very difficult |
| 90% | 900.0% | 10.00× | Extreme |
Because the gain is earned on the reduced balance. Lose 50% of 10,000 and you have 5,000 — getting back to 10,000 from there is a 100% gain. The deeper the hole, the smaller the base you climb out on.
Recovery needed ÷ drawdown taken. At −20% it is 1.25×; at −50% it is 2×; at −80% it is 5×. It is the multiplier on how much harder the way back is than the way down.
Risking a fixed percentage compounds downward: ten losses at 2% leave 81.7% of the balance, not 80%. The consecutive-losses mode shows the drawdown a streak produces at your chosen risk per trade.
The estimate assumes a steady compounded monthly return — 5% by default. Treat it as an order of magnitude: it says a 50% drawdown is a year-plus problem, not a next-week problem.
PipSync is a signal execution tool. It does not provide trading signals, does not guarantee any trading results and is not investment advice. Trading leveraged products involves substantial risk of loss.