What CFDs can you trade?

CFD trading is the method of speculating on the underlying price of an asset – like shares, indices, commodities, cryptos, forex and more – on a trading platform like ours. A CFD – short for ‘contract for difference’ – is the type of derivative that enables you to trade the price movements of these financial markets with us. With this form of trading, you don’t own the underlying asset – you’re only getting exposure to its price movements.

CFD (Contract for Difference) trading has become increasingly popular with retail investors over the last decade. But many have struggled to make consistent profits from CFD trading. This article explores some of the pitfalls of CFD trading, as well as some important trading ideas that, we hope, may boost your success in your trading career.

What CFDs can you trade?

Markets.com offers CFDs on the following markets:
Forex: You can trade CFDs on forex majors, exotics, and other crosses, with varying levels of liquidity and volatility.

Stocks: You can trade CFDs on a large selection of individual stocks and many global stock indices.

Commodities: You can trade CFDs on energy commodities such as US WTI Light Crude Oil and UK Brent Crude Oil. We also offer CFDs on gold, silver and a range of industrial metals.

Crypto: CFD trading in cryptocurrency allows traders to speculate on the price movements of cryptocurrencies without actually owning the underlying assets.

Bonds: CFD bonds allow traders to speculate on the price movements of government bonds, such as U.S. Treasuries or German Bunds, without owning the actual bond, often using leverage for amplified exposure.

Indices: Indices CFDs allow traders to speculate on the performance of entire stock market indices, like the S&P 500 or FTSE 100, without owning the underlying assets, offering leveraged long or short positions.

ETFs: ETFs CFDs let traders speculate on the price movements of exchange-traded funds, which track baskets of assets like stocks or commodities, providing leveraged exposure without directly owning the underlying securities.

How CFDs Work?

CFD trading is the buying and selling of contracts for difference, financial derivatives in which you agree to exchange the difference between the opening and closing price of a specific financial asset – such as a stock, index or commodity.

Unlike traditional investing, you don’t take delivery of the asset. You never own the stock you’re trading.

For example, say that you wanted to go long on the DAX. Instead of investing in a DAX ETF, you can buy a DAX CFD. In doing so, you’re committing to exchange the difference in the DAX’s price from when you open your position to when you close it.

If the DAX rises 100 points, you earn €100 as profit. If it falls 100 points, you lose €100.

CFD trading steps

1. Learn how CFDs work
Understand the basics behind contracts for difference, and how they differ to other financial products

2. Open an account
Click here to open an account. Markets.com is equipped with advanced tools for technical analysis and risk management, supported by a dedicated customer service team to assist clients promptly.

3. Choose a CFD market
Decide which market you want to trade.

4. Decide to buy or sell
Click 'buy' if you think your market will increase in value, or 'sell' if you think it will fall

5. Select your trade size
Choose how many CFDs to buy or sell

6. Execute your order
Start trade to open your position, set a stop loss to limit your risk

7. Monitor and close your trade
Now your position is open, you will see your potential profit/loss update in real time. You can exit it by clicking the close trade button

When considering shares, indices, forex (foreign exchange) and commodities for trading and price predictions, remember that trading CFDs involves a significant degree of risk and could result in capital loss.

Past performance is not indicative of any future results. This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice. Trading cryptocurrency CFDs and spread bets is restricted for all UK retail clients.