Understanding how your profits and losses are displayed can significantly impact how you interpret your trading performance. The Profit and Loss (PNL) metric is a fundamental tool for traders, offering real-time insights into the effectiveness of their strategies. On most trading platforms, PNL can be viewed either as a monetary value or as a percentage of investment. Choosing the right display format helps you make more informed decisions—whether you're analyzing individual trades or evaluating your overall portfolio performance.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about switching between these two PNL display modes, why it matters, and how it affects your trading analysis—all while keeping your experience clear, intuitive, and data-driven.
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What Is PNL Display?
Profit and Loss (PNL) is a key performance indicator that reflects the net result of your trading activities. It shows whether you're making money or losing money on open or closed positions.
- Value-based PNL: Displays gains or losses in the actual currency denomination (e.g., +$150 or -$75).
- Percentage-based PNL: Shows returns relative to your initial investment (e.g., +12% or -5%).
Both formats serve different analytical purposes. While value tells you how much you’ve made or lost, percentage reveals how efficient your capital usage has been.
You can customize your PNL display according to your preference, ensuring the information aligns with your trading goals and risk management strategy.
Why Switch Between Value and Percentage PNL?
Choosing between value and percentage isn't just about preference—it's about context. Each format offers unique advantages depending on your trading scenario.
When to Use Value-Based PNL
- Short-term traders focusing on quick gains often prefer seeing raw dollar (or crypto) amounts.
- Helps track actual profit targets and stop-loss levels during active trades.
- Useful when managing multiple positions across different asset sizes—gives a consolidated view of total gains/losses.
When to Use Percentage-Based PNL
- Ideal for comparing performance across trades with different position sizes.
- Provides clearer insight into return on investment (ROI).
- Essential for long-term portfolio analysis and benchmarking against market indices or personal goals.
For example, a $100 profit might seem good—but if it required a $10,000 investment, that’s only a 1% return. Conversely, a $50 gain from a $200 investment equals a strong 25% return. Percentage mode puts performance into perspective.
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How to Switch PNL Display From Value to Percentage (or Vice Versa)
Changing your PNL display format is simple and fully reversible. Follow these steps to adjust your settings directly from the trading interface:
Step 1: Navigate to the Trading Chart
Open your preferred trading pair and go to the main chart area. This is where price action and trade tools are displayed.
Click on "More" in the trading menu—usually located near other action buttons like "Trade," "Orders," or "History."
Tip: Look for an icon resembling three dots or a dropdown labeled “More” to access additional options.
Step 2: Access Chart Settings
From the "More" menu, select "Chart Settings" under the "Other" section. This opens a configuration panel where you can personalize various aspects of the chart layout and data presentation.
Here, you can adjust timeframes, indicators, themes, and crucially—your trade-related displays, including PNL.
Step 3: Locate the Trade Display Section
Scroll down to the bottom of the settings menu until you see the "Chart Trading" option. This section controls how trading information overlays appear on your chart.
Click into this section to reveal more granular display controls.
Step 4: Toggle Floating PNL Format
Inside the Chart Trading settings, find the "Floating PNL" option. This setting determines how unrealized and realized profits are shown during active trading sessions.
- Toggle between Value and Percentage modes with a single click.
- The change takes effect immediately across all open charts and positions.
You’ll now see your PNL updates dynamically in your chosen format—either as a numerical amount (e.g., +$230) or as a percentage (e.g., +8.4%).
This flexibility allows you to switch views based on your current analytical needs without affecting any underlying data.
Does Changing PNL Display Affect My Trading Data?
No—switching between value and percentage display does not alter any transaction records, account balances, or historical performance data.
It is purely a visual customization, similar to changing chart colors or timeframes. Your actual profits, losses, entry prices, and fees remain unchanged regardless of how PNL is presented.
Think of it like viewing a spreadsheet in different formats: whether you see numbers as decimals or percentages doesn’t change the original data—it only changes how you interpret it.
This means you can freely experiment with both views to determine which one enhances your decision-making process most effectively.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I set different PNL formats for different trading pairs?
Currently, the PNL display setting applies globally across all trading pairs on the platform. You cannot assign separate formats (value vs percentage) to individual markets.
Q: Is percentage-based PNL calculated per trade or across my entire portfolio?
Percentage-based PNL is typically calculated per position, based on the initial margin or cost basis of that specific trade—not aggregated across your full portfolio.
Q: Will my past trade history reflect the new PNL format after switching?
Yes—once you change the display mode, both historical and future trades will show PNL in the updated format. However, no data is modified; only the presentation changes.
Q: Does floating PNL include funding fees or only price movement?
Floating PNL generally reflects unrealized gains or losses due to price changes only. Funding fees, if applicable, are usually settled separately and may not be included in real-time floating calculations.
Q: Can I view both value and percentage simultaneously?
While some advanced platforms offer dual-display options, most standard interfaces allow only one format at a time. You must toggle between them based on your current needs.
Q: Is there a mobile app setting for changing PNL format?
Yes—the same functionality exists on mobile apps. Navigate to Chart Settings via the More menu, then adjust the Floating PNL option just like on desktop.
By mastering how to switch and interpret PNL displays, you empower yourself with clearer insights into your trading efficiency. Whether you're focused on absolute gains or capital efficiency, choosing the right view makes all the difference.