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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

FAANG stocks
FAANG Stocks mobile

Buy and trade 17,000+ shares online

Buy shares with a leading provider – your way. Choose between day-to-day trading and long-term investing on our award-winning platform.1

Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.

Contact us 08001953100

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We're available 24/7 between 8am Saturday and 10pm Friday.

Contact us 0800 409 6789

Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.

Contact us 08001953100

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We're available 24/7 between 8am Saturday and 10pm Friday.

Contact us 0800 409 6789

Invest in shares online and own a piece of the brands you love

  • Buy and own shares in companies with our share dealing account
  • Hold shares and ETFs as part of your long-term investment strategy
  • Receive dividend payments (if made) and shareholder voting rights
  • Make the most of your annual tax-free allowance with our share dealing ISA2
  • Invest using our powerful share dealing platform
wishlist

Investing in shares with us: what’s in it for you?

Zero commission

You’ll pay no commission on US shares and only £3 on UK shares,* with an FX conversion fee of just 0.5%

13,000+ shares to invest in

Buy shares like Amazon, Apple, Tesla and Netflix, plus popular exchange traded funds and trusts

Longer market hours

Our exclusive out-of-hours offering gives you access to 70+ US shares when the market is closed

Faster execution

Execution as fast as 0.014 seconds,3 giving your position every possible chance to play out as you intended

* Trade in your share dealing account three or more times in the previous month to qualify for our best commission rates. Please note published rates are valid up to
£25,000 notional value. See our full list of share dealing charges and fees.

Trade shares online without buying stock outright

Shares mobile
  • Trade on leverage using spread bets and CFDs
  • Speculate on rising or falling stock prices without buying physical shares
  • Take a position on shares over the short or medium term
  • Go long or short on (buy or sell) the shares you’re interested in
  • Enjoy tax benefits related to stamp duty and capital gains2
  • Open a position by putting down a fraction of the full value of the trade

Note that leverage magnifies your risk, as both profits and losses will be based on the full position size.

Trading shares with us: what’s in it for you?

Lower margins

Gain full exposure for just 20-25% of the position size with our low margins4

Less tax

Pay no stamp duty on spread bets or CFDs, no CGT on spread bets, and offset CFD losses for tax purposes2

12,000+ shares to trade

Get exposure to a wide range of popular UK, US and international stocks

Longer market hours

Trade out-of-hours on over 70 US stocks, exclusively with us

Market news at a glance

Shares

Live prices on popular shares

  • US tech stocks
  • EV and battery stocks
  • AI and robotics stocks
  • Popular UK stocks

Prices above are subject to our website terms and conditions, and are indicative only.

Prices above are subject to our website terms and conditions, and are indicative only.

Prices above are applicable to leveraged trading and are subject to our website terms and conditions. Prices are indicative only. All share prices are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

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Open an account now

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With more than 47 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Open an account now

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With more than 47 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Start trading now

Log in to your account now to access today’s opportunity in a huge range of markets.

Start trading now

Log in to your account now to access today’s opportunity in a huge range of markets.

We offer more ways to buy and trade shares

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What you can do

How you can do it

Duration of exposure

Charges

Share dealing

Buy and sell shares, ETFs, and investment trusts

Via a general investment account (share dealing account) or share dealing ISA

Medium to long term (popular among active investors)

Best commission from £0*

Spread betting

Trade shares, ETFs, indices and more

Spread betting account
Via spot (cash), futures or options trading

Short to medium term

The spread, and overnight fees on spot trading

CFD trading

Trade shares, ETFs, indices and more

CFD trading account
Via spot (cash) or options trading

Short to medium term

Commission, and overnight fees on spot trading

* Trade in your share dealing account three or more times in the previous month to qualify for our best commission rates. Please note published rates
are valid up to £25,000 notional value. See our full list of share dealing charges and fees.

Investing vs trading stocks: the differences in detail

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there’s a significant difference between ‘share dealing’ (investing) and ‘share trading’. When investing via a share dealing account, you’ll buy stock outright – this makes you a shareholder. You’ll only profit if you sell the shares at a higher price, but you could also receive dividend payments.

When trading via spread bets and CFDs, you speculate on rising and falling share prices without ever owning the stock. You can make a profit if you correctly predict the direction of the market, but you’ll incur a loss if it moves against you.

IPO

Beat the crowd: buy IPO shares before other retail investors

IPO stocks give you the opportunity to buy shares in companies that have just listed. We're the only UK provider that gives you the opportunity to take a position pre-IPO, participate in the IPO and trade the stock once it's fully listed.5

Beat the crowd: buy IPO shares before other retail investors

IPO stocks give you the opportunity to buy shares in companies that have just listed. We're the only UK provider that gives you the opportunity to take a position pre-IPO, participate in the IPO and trade the stock once it's fully listed.5

Stockbroking costs and details

  • Investing costs
  • Trading costs

The costs and fees involved when investing via share dealing will differ depending on the type of investment you have (eg shares vs ETFs), but could include commission, foreign exchange fees and custody fees.

With us, you could invest in US shares from zero commission and in UK shares from just £3.* Our foreign exchange conversion fee is just 0.5%. Note that, because share dealing isn’t leveraged, you must put down the full value of your position when you open it.

* Trade in your share dealing account three or more times in the previous month to qualify for our best commission rates. Please note published rates are valid up to £25,000 notional value. See our full list of share dealing charges and fees.

When trading shares via spread bets, the primary cost is included in the ‘spread’ – the difference between the buy and sell prices. Spread betting is commission and tax free.2

When trading CFDs, the main charge is the commission, which you’ll pay to open and close the position.

Spread bets and CFDs are leveraged derivatives, so you’ll use margin (a deposit) to open your trade. While not a cost to you, it’s an important figure to consider. Your profit and loss on a shares trade will be based on the full position size, not the deposit used to open it.

Note that trading could also carry other fees.

Trade shares online, wherever you are

Seize your opportunity on the world’s best web-based platform and mobile trading app.1

  • Web-based platform
  • Mobile trading app
  • L2 Dealer
Web platform

Seize your opportunity with our clean deal ticket, clear price charts, and in-platform news and analysis.

Take a position wherever you are, and receive trading alerts and signals on the go.

Interact directly with the order books of major exchanges with our direct market access (DMA) platform.

FAQs

What is share trading and investing?

With us, ’share trading’ means speculating on share prices without owning the shares themselves. ‘Investing’, on the other hand, means buying and taking ownership of a company’s shares. Learn more about what shares are and how they work.

How do you start buying shares?

To start buying shares, you have to open a share dealing account. Once you’re set up, you can decide which shares you want to buy, research the company and industry it’s in, and then open your first position. If you want to trade shares (ie go long or short on share prices), you can open a spread betting or CFD trading account. Always take steps to manage your risk when trading and investing.

What is DMA in shares trading?

DMA in shares trading is our direct market access offering that enables you to trade shares with no dealer intervention, full market depth and access to dark liquidity pools, using either share CFDs or our share dealing platform.

How many shares and ETFs can I trade and invest in with IG?

You can trade and invest in over 17,000 international shares and 5400 ETFs with us. This includes some of the world’s most popular shares, such as Amazon, Apple, Tesla, and Netflix.

Is there a minimum deposit to open a position?

There is no minimum deposit when opening a position on your share dealing, CFD trading or spread betting account. To get started with Smart Portfolios, however, you’ll need to deposit £500.

How can I withdraw funds?

You can withdraw funds for free from your accounts at any time. If you choose to withdraw money to your PayPal account, it could reflect immediately, depending on certain factors. If you choose a card, it’ll take two to five days.

Which platforms can I use to trade stocks?

You can trade stocks using our web platform, mobile app, or L2 Dealer (DMA) platform.

Can I invest in an ISA?

Yes, you can invest in an ISA with us. To do this, open a share dealing account or Smart Portfolio and add an ISA on the My IG the platform.

Can I go short on stocks?

Yes, you can go short on stocks when you open a CFD trading or spread betting account. This way, you can speculate on falling share prices. Remember that leveraged trading will amplify profits and losses, always take care to manage your risk.

Can I trade shares out of hours?

Yes, you can trade 70+ US shares out of hours with us.

1 Best platform for the active trader, best multi-platform provider and best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2022.
2 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
3 Based on IG Group's OTC data for October 2019.
4 Deposits for leveraged trades are 20-25% on 99.11% of tier one UK shares.
5 Based on our IPO offering that includes pre-IPO grey markets, primary market access, and trading and investing on the secondary market.