# How to Read the MT4 Account Statement

> The MT4 account statement contains your full trading history in a structured format. Here is how to read every section and what the summary numbers mean.

**Tags:** mt4, account-statement, reporting, performance
**URL:** https://traderjournal.app/metatrader/how-to-read-mt4-account-statement

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# How to Read the MT4 Account Statement

The MT4 account statement is a formal report of your trading activity for a given period. It is the document you would share with a prop firm, a potential investor, or anyone who wants verified evidence of your trading history. Here is how to read it accurately.

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## Generating the Statement

In MT4, go to Account History > right-click > Save as Detailed Report.

This generates an HTML file that includes your full trade list plus a summary section.

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## The Trade List Section

The main body of the statement lists every closed trade in chronological order. Each row includes:

- **Order (ticket)** - the unique trade identifier
- **Time** - open time in broker server time
- **Type** - buy, sell, or balance (for deposits/withdrawals)
- **Size** - lot size
- **Item** - the instrument (symbol)
- **Price** - entry price
- **S/L** and **T/P** - stop loss and take profit at close
- **Price** (second instance) - exit price
- **Commission** - explicit commission if applicable
- **Taxes** - rarely used, typically 0.00
- **Swap** - overnight financing charges or credits
- **Profit** - gross profit from price movement

Balance entries (deposits and withdrawals) appear in the same list with no trade fields populated.

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## The Summary Section

At the bottom of the statement is a summary block. Key fields:

**Gross Profit / Gross Loss**
The sum of all positive trades (gross profit) and the sum of all negative trades (gross loss). These are before commission and swap.

**Total Net Profit**
Gross Profit minus Gross Loss, plus all commission and swap. This is your bottom-line result for the period.

**Profit Factor**
Gross Profit divided by Gross Loss (as a positive number). A profit factor of 1.5 means you made $1.50 for every $1.00 lost. The statement calculates this automatically.

**Expected Payoff**
Average profit per trade. Total Net Profit divided by the number of closed trades.

**Absolute Drawdown**
The maximum decline of equity from the initial deposit amount. Not the same as maximum drawdown from a peak - this is always measured from the starting balance.

**Maximal Drawdown**
The largest peak-to-trough decline in account equity during the period, shown in dollars and percentage. This is the more commonly used drawdown metric.

**Short Trades (won%)** and **Long Trades (won%)**
The statement breaks down win rates for short (sell) positions and long (buy) positions separately.

**Largest Profit Trade / Largest Loss Trade**
Your single best and worst trades in the period.

**Average Profit Trade / Average Loss Trade**
The mean result of your winning and losing trades respectively.

**Maximum Consecutive Wins / Losses**
The longest winning and losing streaks in the period.

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## What the Statement Does Not Show

The MT4 statement is good for verification purposes but limited for deep analysis. It does not show:

- Performance by instrument (no by-symbol breakdown)
- Performance by time of day or day of week
- Equity curve (the statement is tabular, not graphical)
- Your notes or tags on individual trades

This is why a dedicated journal with automatic sync provides more analytical value than the statement alone - the statement is the official record, the journal is the analytical tool.

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Download Trader Journal at android.traderjournal.app or ios.traderjournal.app to get automated analytics that go beyond the MT4 statement.