What happens when the price is unchanged
A rare edge case, and what it shows about the mechanics.
Know how the situation is handled when the expiry price equals the entry price.
An exact match of prices usually means the amount is returned.
If at expiry the quote is exactly equal to the entry price, the trade is usually returned with neither profit nor loss. The precise terms for this case are in the platform's rules. Check them in the current documentation.
The situation is rare: quotes carry several decimal places, so an exact match does not happen often. But its existence is useful — it shows the mechanism compares two specific points rather than the “general mood” of a move.
- Above the entry
- — paid at the payout
- Below the entry
- — the amount is lost
- Exactly equal
- — the amount is returned
The practical conclusion for a beginner: the smaller the expected move, the larger the share of chance. On a quiet market with a short expiry you end up close to that boundary — and the noise decides the result.
Do not build an idea on an expectation of minimal movement. If your edge requires price to shift by literally one point, it is not an edge but a lottery.
What people do
Taking 30-second trades in the night hours, when an M1 candle has almost no body. Price does not have time to move enough for your analysis to matter at all.
What works
Before entering, judge the average candle move on your timeframe. If the distance you need is larger than that average, the idea is too optimistic.
A practical example
Look at M1 in the night hours: the average candle move can be several times smaller than in the day.
A one-minute trade at that time is working right at the boundary, where the expiry price can turn out practically equal to the entry.
Key takeaways
- 01An exact match of prices usually means the amount is returned.
- 02The mechanism compares two points, not the general direction of a move.
- 03An idea that needs minimal movement is a lottery.
Lesson 10 of 15 in “YOUR FIRST TRADE”