Giles Coghlan LLB, Lth, MA
Financial Source
It is a well known behavioural fact that humans have a round number bias. We just like round numbers. During a visit to the gym recently keeping the RPM’s over 100 was a keen aim. If the RPM’s dropped under 100 something psychologically kicked in to give an extra push in order to hit the ‘big round number’.
This phenomena turns up all over the place. Look at the London Marathon finishing times and how they cluster around the big round numbers of 3 hours, 3:30 hours, and 4 hours.
Most of us are very familiar with pricing that keeps under a big round number. Most goods for about £3 will be priced as £2.99. Staying clear fo the ‘£3’ label, even by a penny, means more sales will be encouraged.
Humans love big round numbers as key reference points. You will have noticed this yourself when you say ‘I will close my position when my equity hits £10,000’ or ‘I will sell the stock when it reaches $100’. This means that traders need to be aware of this impact when trading.
The big round number effect
Whenever you are trading, this has a number of implications for placing orders.
For limit orders: Place buy or sell limit orders at, or near, big round numbers.
For a take profit : Place your TP just a few points BELOW a big round number
For a stop loss: Place your SL just a few points BELOW a big round number.
Also, keep a careful eye out for how big round numbers act as key support and resistance numbers. You will see how influential they are.
Our products and commentary provides general advice that do not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. The content of this website must not be construed as personal advice.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD retreats below 1.1750 on modest USD recovery
EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure and trades below 1.1750 on Friday. Although trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, the modest recovery seen in the US Dollar causes the pair to edge lower. The economic calendar will not feature any high-impact data releases.
GBP/USD struggles to gain traction, stabilizes above 1.3450
After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and moves sideways above 1.3450 as market participants remain in holiday mood.
USD/JPY strengthens above 156.50 as BoJ’s cautious tightening weighs on Japanese Yen
The USD/JPY pair gains ground to near 156.75 during the early Asian session on Monday. The Japanese Yen softens against the US Dollar as traders have been disappointed with the slow and cautious pace of the Bank of Japan’s monetary tightening.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD retreats below 1.1750 on modest USD recovery
EUR/USD stays under modest bearish pressure and trades below 1.1750 on Friday. Although trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, the modest recovery seen in the US Dollar causes the pair to edge lower. The economic calendar will not feature any high-impact data releases.
GBP/USD struggles to gain traction, stabilizes above 1.3450
After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and moves sideways above 1.3450 as market participants remain in holiday mood.
Gold climbs toward $4,400 following deep correction
Gold reverses its direction and advances toward $4,400 after suffering heavy losses amid profit-taking before the New Year holiday. Growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy and persistent geopolitical risks seem to be helping XAU/USD stretch higher.
Cardano gains early New Year momentum, bulls target falling wedge breakout
Cardano kicks off the New Year on a positive note and is extending gains, trading above $0.36 at the time of writing on Friday. Improving on-chain and derivatives data point to growing bullish interest, while the technical outlook keeps an upside breakout in focus.
Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test
After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.
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