What we measured
We took every trading day of gold (XAUUSD) from 15 June 2010 to 29 October 2026 and measured two things: how far the close moved from the previous close, and how wide the whole day's range was from low to high. That is 4,218 days of real prices from our own MetaTrader 5 terminal, not a textbook example.
The question is simple and it matters more than most traders realise: how much room does gold need? A stop loss that sits inside normal daily noise gets hit by chance, not by being wrong.
The size of a normal day
The median absolute move is 0.52%. Half of all days moved less than that and half moved more. The average is higher, 0.73%, because a few violent days pull it up. On the daily range, which includes the swings inside the day, the average over the full period is well above the close-to-close figure.
How often gold moved by each amount in a day
Number of days, 4,218 trading days
Dollars have grown because the price has
In dollar terms gold's daily range has grown a lot: in 2011 the average day spanned $29, in 2025 it was $61, and in 2026 so far it is $119. Much of that is simply a higher price: the same percentage move is a bigger dollar move on a bigger number.
Average daily range of gold, by year (US dollars)
High minus low, average per trading day; the last bar is the year so far
That is why professionals measure volatility in percent, or in units of a standard daily move, and why our own forecasts are built that way. Today one standard daily move is about $41, and the last 30 days averaged a high-to-low range of $72.
The biggest days on record
| Biggest rises | Move | Biggest falls | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 February 2026 | +6.2% | 15 April 2013 | -9.1% |
| 24 March 2020 | +4.7% | 30 January 2026 | -8.9% |
| 24 June 2016 | +4.7% | 23 September 2011 | -5.7% |
| 28 January 2026 | +4.6% | 11 August 2020 | -5.7% |
| 19 August 2026 | +4.4% | 21 October 2025 | -5.3% |
Does the day of the week matter?
A little. Averaged since 2012, Monday has the narrowest range (1.37%) and Friday the widest (1.52%). The gap, 0.15 percentage points, is small. Do not build a strategy on the weekday alone.
Average daily range by weekday
Percent of the previous close, 2012 to today
What this means for your trading
- Size stops in today's volatility. One standard daily move is about $41 right now. A stop much tighter than a fraction of that is mostly a bet on noise.
- Think in percent, not remembered dollars. A move that looked huge in 2016 is ordinary now.
- Expect a 3% day. They are about 1.6% of days, which means roughly one every few months. Position size should survive one.
- Then size the trade from the stop. Our lesson on position sizing and risk of ruin shows how.
Frequently asked questions
How much does gold move on an average day?
Over our 4,218-day sample the median close-to-close move is 0.52% and the average is 0.73%. At the current price a standard daily move is about $41.
How often does gold move more than 1% in a day?
About 24% of days, or roughly one day in four.
What is gold's biggest one-day fall in this data?
-9.1% on 15 April 2013.
Is gold more volatile on certain weekdays?
Only slightly. Friday has the widest average range and Monday the narrowest, but the gap is small.
Sources and method
- Price data: daily bars built from our MetaTrader 5 history for XAUUSD (Fusion Markets), 15 June 2010 to 29 October 2026, 4,218 trading days. A day's move is close to close; a day's range is high minus low as a share of the previous close. Days follow the broker's server clock, which turns over at the New York close.
- All figures are computed by our own software and rebuilt whenever the price history is refreshed. Past volatility does not predict future volatility.