Stopline Trade Manager › Guides
Partial close in MT5 and MT4: six ways to set the levels
A partial close takes part of a position off at a level and lets the rest run, to lock in some profit before the final take profit. MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4 can close part of a position by hand; placing the levels and closing there automatically is what a trade manager adds.
Two decisions: where and how much
Every partial-close plan answers two questions for each level: where it sits (the level) and how much it closes (the lot). Stopline Trade Manager closes a position in up to ten steps.
Six ways to place the levels
The example: a buy of 1.00 lot at 1.10000, stop loss 1.09800 (200 points, 20 pips), take profit 1.10600, three levels.
| Level by | You type | Level prices |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic: evenly between the entry and the take profit | nothing | 1.10150, 1.10300, 1.10450 |
| Price | 1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500 | 1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500 |
| Points from the entry | 200, 400, 500 | 1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500 |
| Reward-to-risk (multiples of the initial risk) | 1, 2, 2.5 | 1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500 |
| Percent change from the entry | 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 | 1.10110, 1.10220, 1.10330 |
| Percent of the take-profit distance (negative: of the stop-loss distance) | 25, 50, 75, or -50 | 1.10150, 1.10300, 1.10450, or 1.09900 |
Reward-to-risk levels scale with the stop: move the stop and the levels move with it, so "take half off at 1 R" means the same thing on every trade. Price and points suit fixed targets such as a round number or the last swing.
Three ways to size each close
With lot values 30, 30 and 40 on the 1.00-lot position (volume step 0.01):
| Lot by | Closes | Left open |
|---|---|---|
| Percent of the initial lot | 0.30, 0.30, 0.40 | 0.00 |
| Percent of the current lot | 0.30, 0.21, 0.19 (40 % of 0.49 = 0.196, rounded down) | 0.30 |
| Fixed lots | the lots you type | the rest |
Closes are rounded down to the volume step and never exceed the remaining volume.
When a level fires
- A level triggers when the closing price reaches it: the Bid for a buy, the Ask for a sell.
- Each level fires once per position, even after a terminal restart, one level at a time.
- Negative values place a level on the loss side, to reduce a losing position before the stop.
- Take-profit levels set on the Trade tab (up to five, each with its own share of the lot) replace the In Parts levels for that position.
MetaTrader 4 and netting accounts
In MetaTrader 4 a partial close gives the rest of the position a new ticket; the panel follows it, so the remaining levels, the trailing stop and breakeven continue. On MetaTrader 5 netting accounts the levels are based on the merged position.
Partial close in Stopline Trade Manager
The In Parts tab holds the levels, the lot method and an Auto distribute button; the chip PC in the header shows that new positions get them. Each level is drawn on the chart as a line you can drag. It works the same in Stopline Trade Manager MT5 and Stopline Trade Manager MT4.