Contact us
New to IG: +35 318 009 95362
Existing clients: +35 318 009 95364
Email: newaccounts.uk@ig.com
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% 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.
Options and turbo warrants are complex financial instruments. Trading these financial instruments involves the high risk of losing money rapidly.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% 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.
Options and turbo warrants are complex financial instruments. Trading these financial instruments involves the high risk of losing money rapidly.
Start trading now
It’s free to open an account and no downloads are required to use our web-based platform.
Commodities
Trade a range of global commodity markets with barriers and vanilla options, spread betting and CFDs.
Live commodity prices
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| Brent Crude |
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| US Light Crude |
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| Spot Gold |
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| Spot Silver (5000oz) |
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| Copper |
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| Aluminium ($5 Mini Contract) |
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Prices above are subject to our website terms and conditions. Prices are indicative only.
Why trade with IG?
Key benefits
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A unique range of markets
Access popular commodities, as well as niche metals, energies and softs
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Low spreads
Spot Gold from 0.3 points, US Crude from 4-2.8 points
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24-hour trading
We offer a range of 24-hour markets for flexible commodity trading
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Trade commodities on leverage
Gain full exposure with a small initial deposit, but remember leverage comes with increased risk
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Extensive range of risk management tools
Protect profits and limit losses in volatile markets
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Enjoy greater flexibility
Tailor your trade parameters to suit your goals
Popular commodities markets
Market name |
Value of one |
Spread |
Minimum margin requirement per |
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Retail |
Professional* |
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| Spot Gold | $100 | 0.1 | 5% | 0.63% |
| Spot Silver | $50 | 1.8 | 10% | 1.8% |
| Oil - US Crude | $10 | 2.6 | 10% | 1.35% |
| Oil - Brent Crude | $10 | 2.6 | 10% | 1.35% |
* Professional clients are exempt from regulatory limits on leverage in place for retail clients, and are able to trade on lower margins as a result. You can find out more, and check your eligibility, on our professional trading page.
See all commodities markets and our full product details
What is commodity trading?
Commodities are the natural resources that form the building blocks of the global economy. Soft commodities –called ‘softs’– are typically agricultural (like wheat and sugar), whereas hard commodities –called ‘hards’– are metals or energies (such as silver or gas).
Commodities are traded on a number of exchanges that specialise in particular markets, including LIFFE for agricultural products, London Metal Exchange for non-precious metals, Chicago Mercantile Exchange for energy and metals, and ICE Futures Exchange for energy.
The commodity markets are driven by many factors, including supply and demand, the weather, economic and political events, and the US dollar (because that’s the currency commodities are normally priced in). As a result of these factors, commodity prices can fluctuate significantly.
Learn more about barriers and vanilla options, spread betting and CFDs and their potential risks
Watch Sara explain the basics of commodities trading in less than two minutes
Select a market
You're interested in trading a spot gold CFD. Our price is currently 1447.96 / 1448.46, priced in points.
Sell or buy
You choose to 'buy' 1 contract at the offer price (1448.46), because you believe the market will rise.
Alternatively, you could 'sell' at the bid price (1447.96) if you believe the market will fall.
Value and margin
On a spot gold trade, the value of one full contract is $100. This means that every full point that the market moves is worth $100, either in your favour or against you.
The retail margin required to open one full spot gold contract is 5% of your total exposure. Your total exposure on this trade is 1448.46 (the offer price) x $100 = $144,846, so the margin required is $144,846 x 0.7% = $7242.3.
Closing your trade
Over the course of the day gold rallies, until our spot gold CFD price is 1462.46 / 1462.96.
You choose to close your trade by placing a 'sell' trade for 1 contract at the bid price (1462.46).
Calculating profit / loss
Profit / loss is calculated based on the difference between your opening and closing prices, in points.
In this case: 1462.46 - 1448.46 = 14
You bought 1 contract, and the market moved in your favour. Therefore your gross profit is: 14 x $100 = $1400
What if...
Similarly, if the market had fallen by 14 points, your 'buy' trade would have resulted in a $1400 gross loss.
Net profit / loss
To accurately calculate your net profit or loss, you would need to factor in any funding charges. In this case, there are no funding costs because the position was not held overnight.
For any position opened before 10pm Wednesday that is still open after 10pm Wednesday, the basis adjustment will be made for three days as opposed to one and covers the weekend period. This is particular to gold and silver, other commodities are charged for three days (weekend period) if they are held open through 10pm on Friday.
Try it for free
Open a free demo account and practise trading with €10,000 virtual funds, absolutely risk-free.
Or learn how to find markets, place trades and make the most of your trading with our free interactive platform preview.
Our commodities services
Undated commodities
With no fixed expiries1, our undated commodities offer spread bettors and CFD traders continuous charting, increased transparency and lower spreads on 26 key markets. This enables IG clients to take cost-effective short-term views on markets such as gold and oil.
Discover more about how to trade undated commodities.
Commodities FAQs
How do I trade undated commodities?
This works in the same way as an index CFD. Just like an index position, you’ll pay a funding charge for holding your commodity position overnight.
In the absence of a continuously traded underlying market, we have created an algorithm to derive a price from the forward curve of each commodity. It will automatically calculate and apply day-to-day funding requirements.
With continuous charting, your technical analysis will be available as long as you want it. IG have used past data to backdate our charts for the last three to five years, so you can get an accurate historical look.
Can I use commodities to hedge?
Yes – investors often buy or sell commodities to help manage their risk.
In a balanced portfolio, commodities provide a hedge against downward movements in other securities, as they tend to move in the opposite direction, or an unconnected direction, to certain stocks and bonds.
Can I trade emerging commodities with IG?
No – but you can get exposure to them by trading share CFDs in companies that operate in the relevant field.
Emerging commodities are commodity markets that some investors expect to be booming in the next few years, but which are not currently available to trade as commodity futures (for example, water and ethanol). The only way to trade these products is by trading stock in companies that operate in the relevant field.
How does inflation affect commodity prices?
Commodities can be used as a natural hedge against inflation. If rapid inflation seems imminent, you may see commodity prices rising very quickly – they may even provide the first sign of inflation. This is because people will be moving money out of investments that don’t offer a hedge against inflation and into the commodity markets, to protect their assets.
