How losing streaks compound — and the gain needed to recover.
| Losses in a row | Drawdown | Gain needed to recover |
|---|
Losses and gains are not symmetric. A drawdown of 20% needs a 25% gain to recover; a 50% drawdown needs a punishing 100% gain just to get back to break-even. This calculator shows the recovery gain required for any loss.
Recovery gain % = (1 ÷ (1 − drawdown %) − 1) × 100
The lesson: protecting capital beats chasing returns. That is the entire design principle behind Apex Drawdown Zero — cap the drawdown so you never face an impossible recovery.
A 50% drawdown requires a 100% gain to return to break-even. This asymmetry is why limiting drawdown is more important than maximising returns.
It depends on strategy and risk tolerance, but most prop firms cap total drawdown at 8–12%. Keeping peak-to-trough losses in single digits keeps recovery realistic.
Apex Drawdown Zero sizes positions and enforces drawdown limits in real time on MT5.
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