Spread Betting Account
|
|
|
Where to Spread Bet?
It depends upon a number of factors including:
- What level of service you are looking for, and
- What markets you are looking to trade
In the tables below we have listed which companies offer the popular shares, indices, forex and commodities markets.
We have also listed which companies offer services such as charts and automatic stop losses as well as the companies with new account offers.
Spread Betting Services Comparison
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| New Account Offer? |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Online Account Application? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Candlestick Charts? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Credit Accounts Available? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Deposit Accounts Available? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Stop Loss Available? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Stop Loss (Automatic)? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 24 Hour Trading? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FSA Authorised and Regulated? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above spread betting services / markets may also be available with other companies. Also see Comparison Table Notes.
The most popular market with spread betting account holders? The FTSE 100 - see below for a worked spread betting example.
Spread Betting Indices Comparison
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FTSE 100 Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FTSE 100 Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wall Street (Dow) Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wall Street (Dow) Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DAX 30 Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DAX 30 Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S&P 500 Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S&P 500 Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Indices |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above spread betting markets may also be available with other companies. Also see Comparison Table Notes.
Spread Betting Shares Comparison
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FTSE 100 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FTSE 250 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Wall Street Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S&P 500 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nasdaq 100 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DAX 30 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| CAC 40 Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Irish Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above spread betting markets may also be available with other companies. Also see Comparison Table Notes.
Spread Betting Forex Comparison
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dollar/Yen Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dollar/Yen Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Euro/Dollar Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Euro/Dollar Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Euro/Sterling Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Euro/Sterling Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sterling/Dollar Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sterling/Dollar Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sterling/Euro Daily |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sterling/Euro Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Forex |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above spread betting markets may also be available with other companies. Also see Comparison Table Notes.
Spread Betting Commodities Comparison
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gold Daily |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gold Future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| UK Oil Daily (Brent) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| UK Oil Future (Brent) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| US Oil Daily (WTI) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| US Oil Future (WTI) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other Commodities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above spread betting markets may also be available with other companies. Also see Comparison Table Notes.
Why Spread Betting?
All forms of speculation or investment, from trading stocks and shares to having a pension or buying a house, have a negative side. If you spread bet you can lose more than you initially staked.
However there are number of interesting benefits:
- Spread betting profits are tax free*
- As shown above, spread betting offers a large variety of markets on which you can speculate including indices, foreign exchange, commodities and equities markets.
- Spread betting lets you trade in both directions. You can bet on markets to go down. If you think that a stock or share will go down you can speculate on it to go down. If you think that a stock market index like the FTSE 100 or Nikkei 225 will go up, you can spread bet on the index to go up.
- There are no broker's fees or commissions on spread bets.
- Many of the firms now offer a variety of free data to their clients. As well as candlestick charts, some firms also offer technical analysis and analysis on companies sectors and companies.
How to Spread Bet
The most popular market with spread betting account holders? The FTSE 100.
The current price of the FTSE 100 Index (December) market is 5128 - 5132 with Financial Spreads.
With a spread betting account you can speculate on the future value of the FTSE 100 to rise or fall. With this FTSE 100 Index (December) market, which closes on 18-Dec-09, investors can speculate on:
a) the FTSE 100 to finish higher than 5132 on the expiry date, or
b) the FTSE 100 to finish lower than 5128 on the expiry date.
Note that with the FTSE 100 market you trade in £X per point, where a point is 1 point of FTSE 100 movement. As a brief example, if you invested £4 per point and the FTSE 100 moves 8 points then your bottom line would change by £32.
FTSE 100 Index (December) Spread Trading Example
Considering an example, let’s assume you see the real time price on a UK spread betting website and it gives a spread of 5128 - 5132. So, having done your analysis of the markets, you might come to feel that the FTSE 100 index will go up and settle higher than 5132 on the expiry date. Therefore:
- You believe that the FTSE 100 should rise
- As a result, you decide you are going to ‘buy’ the market at 5132 and you bet £2 per point
- The FTSE 100 value increases. You leave your bet to run to the closing date of 18-Dec-09
- The index closes at 5176
- You initially bought the spread at 5132
- Profit / loss = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
- Profit / loss = (5176 - 5132) x £2 per point
- Profit / loss = 44 x £2 per point
- Profit / loss = £88 profit
Spread betting does not always go to plan. If the market failed to move as predicted, and had the FTSE 100 index decreased, settling at a lower than expected level of 5090, then you would have made a loss rather than a profit.
- You bought the spread bet at 5132
- Profit / loss = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
- Profit / loss = (5090 - 5132) x £2 per point
- Profit / loss = -42 x £2 per point
- Profit / loss = -£84 loss
(Spread betting prices correct as of 05-Nov-09)
"Spread Betting Account" last update by R Thomas, 20-Mar-2010
Warning: Financial spread betting carries a high level of risk. You can lose more than your initial investment or stake. Financial spread betting may not be suitable for all investors. Only trade with money that you can afford to lose. Make sure you fully understand the risk involved. If necessary, seek independent financial advice.
Similar articles:
Spread Betting Companies - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Spread Betting Companies - Compare the services and markets of some of the leading spread betting companies >> read in full.
Spread Bet Offers - last update: 20-Mar-2010
The latest spread betting offers from Financial Spreads and paddypowertrader >> read in full.
Spread Betting Account - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Spread Betting Account >> In the tables below we have listed which companies offer the popular shares, indices, forex and commodities markets. We have also listed which companies offer services such as >> read in full.
Why Spread Bet - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Once you understand how to limit your downside it is worth looking the many positives that make spread betting so popular. No broker fees, no commissions, no income tax, no capital gains tax and no stamp duty. And then there is >> read in full.
Spread Betting Emails - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Free emails with the latest spread betting offers and updates of where you can find the latest narrow spreads >> read in full.
Financial Spread Betting - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Financial Spread Betting >> Financial Spread Betting offers some interesting features and is worth considering as part of your investment strategy. So why spread trade? Put simply, financial spread betting offers tax efficiency* as well as >> read in full.
UK Spreads - last update: 20-Mar-2010
UK Spreads >> There are a wide variety of financial spread betting companies that focus on providing a service for UK investors. UK spread bettors can nearly always spread bet in Sterling regardless of >> read in full.
Spread Firms - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Spread Firms >> Spread betting is a rapidly growing form of trading that is becoming increasingly popular. It is important to consider which spread betting firms are able to >> read in full.
Futures Betting - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Futures Betting >> Futures Betting provides traders with a professional trading platform that offers fast and reliable financial spread betting execution on major indices, currencies and commodities. The platform is aimed at individual professional traders as it >> read in full.
Spread Betting Comparison Tables Notes - last update: 17-Mar-2010
Spread betting comparison tables notes and guidelines >> read in full.
Spread Betting Tips - last update: 31-Jan-2010
Spread Betting Tips >> A range of spread betting tips from the pitfalls of spread betting to finding narrow spreads on the key markets, finding free charts and more >> read in full.
Spread Betting Reports - last update: 31-Jan-2010
Spread Betting Reports >> A range of trading reports and strategies covering a wide variety of markets with insight from industry professionals >> read in full.
Rolling Daily Spread Betting Charges - last update: 01-Mar-2010
Rolling Daily Spread Betting Charges >> Rolling Daily Bets may incur a charge or income for each day that they are held overnight. If you are long of an equity or index, this equates to >> read in full.
Spread Betting Directory - last update: 20-Mar-2010
Spread Betting Directory: Daily trading articles, offers, spread betting company reviews, price comparison and >> read in full.
|
|
|
Free Financial Email: Latest Spread Betting Offers and where to find narrow spreads.
Click here to sign up.
|
|
