📊 Get Spread in Price Units¶

Convenience method: retrieves the current spread as a price difference (Ask - Bid). Returns actual currency value, not points.

API Information:

Sugar method: MT5Sugar.getSpreadPrice(String symbol)
Underlying method: MT5Account.symbolInfoTick()
Source: MT5Sugar convenience layer

🔽 Input¶

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`symbol`	`String`	✅	Symbol name (e.g., "EURUSD")

⬆️ Output¶

Returns: double - Spread in price units (Ask - Bid)

Calculation:

spreadPrice = Ask - Bid

Example: - EURUSD: Ask=1.12350, Bid=1.12340 → Spread = 0.00010 - XAUUSD: Ask=1850.50, Bid=1850.20 → Spread = 0.30

💬 Just the essentials¶

What it is. Spread expressed as price difference.
Why you need it. Understand trading costs in currency units.
vs getSpread(). getSpread() returns points, this returns price.
Trading cost. This is your cost to open + immediately close position.

🎯 Purpose¶

Use this method when you need to:

Calculate trading costs in currency units.
Monitor spread conditions before placing trades.
Compare spreads across different symbols in same units.
Calculate break-even price including spread.

🔗 Usage Examples¶

1) Get current spread in price¶

double spread = sugar.getSpreadPrice("EURUSD");
System.out.printf("EURUSD spread: %.5f%n", spread);
// Output: EURUSD spread: 0.00010

2) Compare spread representations¶

String symbol = "GBPUSD";

// Get spread in different formats
int spreadPoints = sugar.getSpread(symbol);           // In points
double spreadPrice = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);    // In price units
double point = sugar.getPoint(symbol);

// Verify calculation
double calculatedSpread = spreadPoints * point;

System.out.printf("%s spread analysis:%n", symbol);
System.out.printf("  Points: %d%n", spreadPoints);
System.out.printf("  Price: %.5f%n", spreadPrice);
System.out.printf("  Point size: %.5f%n", point);
System.out.printf("  Calculated: %.5f%n", calculatedSpread);
System.out.printf("  Match: %s%n",
    Math.abs(spreadPrice - calculatedSpread) < 0.000001 ? "✅" : "❌");

// Output:
// GBPUSD spread analysis:
//   Points: 15
//   Price: 0.00015
//   Point size: 0.00001
//   Calculated: 0.00015
//   Match: ✅

3) Check spread conditions before trading¶

String symbol = "EURUSD";
double maxAcceptableSpread = 0.00020; // 20 points in price

while (true) {
    double currentSpread = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);

    if (currentSpread <= maxAcceptableSpread) {
        System.out.printf("✅ Good spread: %.5f (max: %.5f)%n",
            currentSpread, maxAcceptableSpread);

        // Place trade
        sugar.buyMarket(symbol, 0.1, null, null);
        break;
    }

    System.out.printf("⚠️ Spread too high: %.5f (waiting for <= %.5f)%n",
        currentSpread, maxAcceptableSpread);

    Thread.sleep(1000); // Check every second
}

4) Calculate break-even including spread¶

String symbol = "EURUSD";
double entryBid = sugar.getBid(symbol);
double spreadPrice = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);

// For SELL order
System.out.printf("%s SELL break-even:%n", symbol);
System.out.printf("  Entry (Bid): %.5f%n", entryBid);
System.out.printf("  Spread cost: %.5f%n", spreadPrice);
System.out.printf("  Break-even price: %.5f%n", entryBid - spreadPrice);
System.out.printf("  (Price must move DOWN by %.5f to break even)%n", spreadPrice);

// For BUY order
double entryAsk = sugar.getAsk(symbol);
System.out.printf("%n%s BUY break-even:%n", symbol);
System.out.printf("  Entry (Ask): %.5f%n", entryAsk);
System.out.printf("  Spread cost: %.5f%n", spreadPrice);
System.out.printf("  Break-even price: %.5f%n", entryAsk);
System.out.printf("  (Already at Ask, must move UP to profit)%n");

5) Monitor spread across multiple symbols¶

String[] symbols = {"EURUSD", "GBPUSD", "USDJPY", "XAUUSD"};

System.out.println("Current spreads (price units):");
System.out.println("Symbol   | Bid      | Ask      | Spread   | Points");
System.out.println("---------|----------|----------|----------|-------");

for (String symbol : symbols) {
    double bid = sugar.getBid(symbol);
    double ask = sugar.getAsk(symbol);
    double spreadPrice = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);
    int spreadPoints = sugar.getSpread(symbol);
    int digits = sugar.getDigits(symbol);

    System.out.printf("%8s | %8."+digits+"f | %8."+digits+"f | %8."+digits+"f | %6d%n",
        symbol, bid, ask, spreadPrice, spreadPoints);
}

// Output:
// Symbol   | Bid      | Ask      | Spread   | Points
// ---------|----------|----------|----------|-------
//   EURUSD | 1.12340  | 1.12350  | 0.00010  |     10
//   GBPUSD | 1.26340  | 1.26355  | 0.00015  |     15
//   USDJPY | 110.123  | 110.133  | 0.010    |     10
//   XAUUSD | 1850.20  | 1850.50  | 0.30     |     30

6) Calculate trading cost for position size¶

String symbol = "EURUSD";
double volume = 1.0; // 1 lot
double spreadPrice = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);

// Get contract size (usually 100,000 for forex)
double contractSize = sugar.getContractSize(symbol);

// Calculate spread cost in account currency
double spreadCost = spreadPrice * volume * contractSize;

System.out.printf("%s spread cost analysis:%n", symbol);
System.out.printf("  Volume: %.2f lots%n", volume);
System.out.printf("  Spread: %.5f%n", spreadPrice);
System.out.printf("  Contract size: %.0f%n", contractSize);
System.out.printf("  Spread cost: $%.2f%n", spreadCost);
System.out.printf("  (Cost to open + immediately close position)%n");

// Output:
// EURUSD spread cost analysis:
//   Volume: 1.00 lots
//   Spread: 0.00010
//   Contract size: 100000
//   Spread cost: $10.00
//   (Cost to open + immediately close position)

📌 Important Notes¶

Always positive: Spread is always ≥ 0 (Ask ≥ Bid).
vs getSpread():
getSpread() → integer points (e.g., 10)
getSpreadPrice() → price units (e.g., 0.00010)
Relationship: spreadPrice = spreadPoints * point

Conversion:

int spreadPoints = sugar.getSpread(symbol);
double point = sugar.getPoint(symbol);
double spreadPrice = spreadPoints * point;

// Or directly:
double spreadPrice = sugar.getSpreadPrice(symbol);

Trading cost:

When you BUY at Ask and immediately SELL at Bid,
you lose the spread amount.

Variable spread:
Spread widens during news, low liquidity, market close
Check before placing trades
Consider max acceptable spread threshold
Break-even calculation:
BUY: Already at Ask, need price to rise to profit
SELL: Entered at Bid, need price to fall by spread to break even

Spread relationship:

Ask (1.12350) ← You BUY here
    ↕ Spread = 0.00010 (trading cost)
Bid (1.12340) ← You SELL here