position-sizer

Position Sizer

Overview

Calculate the optimal number of shares to buy for a long stock trade based on risk management principles. Supports three sizing methods:

• Fixed Fractional: Risk a fixed percentage of account equity per trade (default: 1%)
• ATR-Based: Use Average True Range to set volatility-adjusted stop distances
• Kelly Criterion: Calculate mathematically optimal risk allocation from historical win/loss statistics

All methods apply portfolio constraints (max position %, max sector %) and output a final recommended share count with full risk breakdown. The default output is whole shares. Use --fractional only when the user's broker supports fractional shares for the security and order type.

When to Use

• User asks "how many shares should I buy?"
• User wants to calculate position size for a specific trade setup
• User mentions risk per trade, stop-loss sizing, or portfolio allocation
• User asks about Kelly Criterion or ATR-based position sizing
• User has a small account where whole-share rounding would under-deploy a defined risk budget
• User wants to check if a position fits within portfolio concentration limits

Prerequisites

• No API keys required
• Python 3.9+ with standard library only

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Trade Parameters

Collect from the user:

• Required: Account size (total equity)
• Mode A (Fixed Fractional): Entry price, stop price, risk percentage (default 1%)
• Mode B (ATR-Based): Entry price, ATR value, ATR multiplier (default 2.0x), risk percentage
• Mode C (Kelly Criterion): Win rate, average win, average loss; optionally entry and stop for share calculation
• Optional constraints: Max position % of account, max sector %, current sector exposure
• Optional share mode: Whole shares by default, or fractional shares with --fractional --share-precision N when supported by the broker

If the user provides a stock ticker but not specific prices, use available tools to look up the current price and suggest entry/stop levels based on technical analysis.

Step 2: Execute Position Sizer Script

Run the position sizing calculation:

# Fixed Fractional (most common)
python3 skills/position-sizer/scripts/position_sizer.py \
  --account-size

Step 3: Load Methodology Reference

Read references/sizing_methodologies.md to provide context on the chosen method, risk guidelines, and portfolio constraint best practices.

Step 4: Calculate Multiple Scenarios

If the user has not specified a single method, run multiple scenarios for comparison:

• Fixed Fractional at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% risk
• ATR-based at 1.5x, 2.0x, and 3.0x multipliers
• Present a comparison table showing shares, position value, and dollar risk for each

Step 5: Apply Portfolio Constraints and Determine Final Size

Add constraints if the user has portfolio context:

Explain which constraint is binding and why it limits the position.

Step 6: Generate Position Report

Present the final recommendation including:

• Method used and rationale
• Exact share count and position value
• Dollar risk and percentage of account
• Stop-loss price
• Any binding constraints
• Risk management reminders (portfolio heat, loss-cutting discipline)
• Small-account reminders: fractional shares do not remove broker minimums, spread/slippage, commissions/fees, margin limits, borrow availability, or day-trading controls

Output Format

JSON Report

Markdown Report

Generated automatically alongside the JSON report. Contains:

• Parameters summary
• Calculation details for the active method
• Constraints analysis (if any)
• Final recommendation with shares, value, and risk

Reports are saved to reports/ with filenames position_sizer_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.json and .md.

Resources

• references/sizing_methodologies.md: Comprehensive guide to Fixed Fractional, ATR-based, and Kelly Criterion methods with examples, comparison table, and risk management principles
• scripts/position_sizer.py: Main calculation script (CLI interface)

Key Principles

1. Survival first: Position sizing is about surviving losing streaks, not maximizing winners
2. The 1% rule: Default to 1% risk per trade; never exceed 2% without exceptional reason
3. Default to whole shares: Existing workflows remain integer-share by default
4. Floor, never round up: Whole-share mode floors to an integer; fractional mode floors to the requested precision so risk and concentration budgets are not exceeded
5. Strictest constraint wins: When multiple limits apply, the tightest one determines final size
6. Half Kelly: Never use full Kelly in practice; half Kelly captures 75% of growth with far less risk
7. Portfolio heat: Total open risk should not exceed 6-8% of account equity
8. Intraday rules are broker-specific: FINRA replaced the old pattern-day-trader day-count and $25,000 minimum-equity requirements with intraday margin standards effective 2026-06-04, with broker phase-in allowed through 2027-10-20. Check the broker's current rules before repeated same-day trading in a margin account.
9. Asymmetry of losses: A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to recover; size accordingly