How to Compute the Percentage Return on a Leveraged Futures Trade?

Could be calculated a few different ways...

1. % on face value of contract
2. % on total equity in your account
3. % on minimum margin

It occurred to me that someone who would ask this question perhaps shouldn't be trading futures at all....
 
% return on an individual trade:

outlayed capital = # contracts * margin

gain or loss = (point value * # contracts * + or - point change ) -(slippage + commission)

% return = (+- loss or gain ) / outlayed capital *100

Its probably better to put your return in terms of your total capital, and your individual returns in terms of dollars risked for information purposes

instead of outlayed capital, use dollars risked = % of total capital risked / (pointvalue * volatility)

% return = (+-gain or loss) / dollars risked *100
 
Are you asking for the formulas for compounding rates of return? I use an annually compounding annual growth rate, a instantaneous compounding annual growth rate, and cumulative annual growth rate. They all have different formulas.
 
Hook N. Sinker,

I am looking for the formula to compute % return on an individual leveraged futures trade.

Example:

Trade:
Buy 1 ESZ06 at 1405.00
Sell 1 ESZ06 at 1410.00

Profit 5pts = $250

Account Equity at purchase: $100,000

initial Margin: $3938
maintenance Margin: $3150

Interest Rate: 2.5%

What would be the formula for leverage % return for this trade?
 
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