Online stock trading in the UAE: everything you need to know
Online stock trading is one of the most popular ways to get exposure to established brands and startup companies' shares. Learn about stock trading and how to trade online with us.
Start trading today. Call +971 (0) 4 5592108 or email sales.ae@ig.com. Our sales team is available from 8:00am to 6:00pm (Dubai time), Monday to Friday.
Contact us: +971 (0) 4 5592108
Start trading today. Call +971 (0) 4 5592108 or email sales.ae@ig.com. Our sales team is available from 8:00am to 6:00pm (Dubai time), Monday to Friday.
Contact us: +971 (0) 4 5592108
With us, there are two ways to get exposure to stocks online.
Investing
Buy and own 10,000 stocks and ETFs. Pay $0 commission on US shares up to 50 trades per month.1
Learn more about stock trading
Trading
Use leveraged CFDs to speculate on share price movements without owning the stock. Go long or short on 17,000 stocks and ETFs using our award-winning platform.2
You can open a stock trading or CFD trading account. Create one or both of these accounts – but please bear in mind that you’ll need to fund each one separately.
Looking to learn more about online stock trading? Read our guide below or try IG Academy for in-depth courses.
What is a stock?
A stock is a financial security that represents a portion of ownership in a company. Retail investors can buy shares from companies that are listed on a stock exchange.
The company will apply to list on an stock exchange, for example the LSE or NYSE, so that their shares can be bought and sold by anyone.
When it list on the stock exchange, it's usually by way of an IPO. At this point its share price will be fixed, however from the first day of trading onwards, it will fluctuate according to market conditions.
When you buy shares in a company, you'll become a shareholder and part owner of the company. As an investor, you'll receive dividend payments if the company grants them and have voting rights.
Why trade or invest in stocks?
There are two reasons to take a position in the stock market.
- Firstly, you may want to earn an income from dividends. Certain shares are known as income stocks, and they have a reputation for paying stable and predictable dividends. These can be used for re-investment, or for income purposes. Note that you’ll only be eligible to receive dividends if you buy and hold your shares as a form of investment
- The second reason is speculating on share price movements. For example, if a share you’ve bought appreciates in value, you can sell it for a profit. Conversely, if it depreciates in value from the initial outlay you paid, it’ll result in a loss. When trading CFDs, you can also go short, which is a way to profit from a share price falling3
What is a stockbroker?
A stockbroker is a person or company that executes your buy and sell orders on a stock exchange. They function as a middleman between the stock exchange and a client that wants to get exposure, because the public can’t interact with the exchange directly.
Note that a stockbroker must be licensed to facilitate the purchase and sale of assets on your behalf. We’re a licensed stockbroker and have an award-winning platform2 that’s easy to navigate.
What is online stock trading?
Online stock trading is the act of using a platform like ours to take a position on shares. There are two ways to do this: investing and trading.
Investing involves buying and holding shares to own outright, with the intention of profiting in the long run if the stock appreciates over time.
With trading, you speculate on the share price movement without taking ownership. You’ll go long if you think that the price will rise or go short if you think that it’ll fall.3 This type of exposure often comes with a higher risk compared to investing and is done with a more short-term outlook.
Investing in stocks |
Trading on stocks |
When investing with us (also known as stock trading), you’re taking direct ownership of shares, ETFs and investment trusts |
When trading, you’ll be using derivatives known as CFDs to speculate on an asset’s price movements3 |
Ownership entitles you to voting rights and dividend payments if the company grants them |
You never take ownership of the underlying asset itself |
You need to commit the full value of your position upfront |
You only put down a margin deposit to open your position. This is known as leverage3 |
You buy and sell these assets on-exchange through a broker like us |
You trade over-the-counter directly with us |
You can only ‘go long’ when stock trading |
Because you’re speculating on price movements using derivatives, you can ‘go long’ and ‘short’ |
We offer 10,000 leading stocks and ETFs |
We offer 17,000+ markets including shares, ETFs, indices, forex, commodities and more |
What stocks can I trade or invest in online?
With us, you’ll trade on 10,000 international stocks online. When you trade on shares like Amazon, Apple, and Tesla, you’ll take a long or short position and your profit – or loss – will depend on your prediction.
You can also speculate on popular exchange traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts, which are a collection of stocks that track the performance of more than one company at once.
With investing, you can buy and hold stocks with us, taking ownership of the asset and earning a profit when it appreciates in value. You can buy and own a small piece of the brands you love like Meta Platforms, Netflix, Apple, Amazon and more.
Investors can also diversify their holdings and invest in the price of ETFs.
What are the costs for online stock trading?
The costs for online stock trading depend on the mechanism you choose to get exposure, as trading and investing are very different. When you invest in stocks using our stock trading platform, you’ll be charged zero commission on US shares, and just £8 commission on UK shares.1
With trading, the first thing to consider is the spread. This refers to the difference between the buy and sell price.
Additionally, there are fees and charges to consider depending on your position size and brokerage you choose. With CFD shares we charge commission.
How to trade or invest in stocks online
With us, you can invest in stocks using our stock trading offering or trade via CFDs. Below, we’ve listed quick steps to get you started:
- Decide whether you want to trade or invest
- Create a live account or practise on a demo
- Search for your preferred stock
- Select your deal size and manage your risk
- Open and monitor your position
Where can I learn more about online stock trading?
You can learn more about online stock trading on IG Academy and our website. We have a collection of trading courses that’ll help you sharpen your skills.
As part of your research on financial markets, you can check news and analysis from our industry experts to stay updated on current economic events before you take a position.
Once you’ve built up your confidence using the educational material, you can open a demo account with us to test different trading strategies in a risk-free environment. Your account will be credited with $10,000 in virtual funds to practise without having to risk any real money.
You can analyse and learn more about different market conditions that influence the price of stocks from live charts all housed on one platform. When you’re satisfied with your progress, you can open a live account.
Try these next
Learn more about how you can trade the financial markets online
Explore what forex trading is and how to speculate on different currency pairs
Create a trading account that gives you access to 17,000+ global markets on one platform
1 Should you place over 50 trades on US shares, in a given month, IG reserves the right to charge you $5 per trade.
2 Best Finance App, Best Multi-Platform Provider and Best Platform for the Active Trader as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024.
3 When you trade using derivatives, you'll use leverage to open your position. This means you only need to commit a fraction of the full value of the position as your deposit to get exposure. Note that leverage amplifies both your profits and losses as both are calculated based on the full position size, not just the deposit. You’ll need to take steps to manage your risk effectively.
Contact us
New client: 00971 (0) 4 559 2108 or sales.ae@ig.com
Clients: 00971 (0) 4 559 2104
11:00 Saturday - 01:00 Saturday
WhatsApp: Click here
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