Oil trading
Take advantage of rising and falling crude oil markets with CFDs and spread bets, on the UK’s best trading platform.1
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Why trade oil with us?
Find opportunity in negative prices
Trade oil even if the market turns negative, something you won’t find anywhere else
Keep your costs down
Get competitive prices on Brent and US Crude – with spreads from just 2.8 points
Trade continuous oil markets
Take a position on oil spot prices with our unique undated market offering
Protect your capital
Attach a guaranteed stop to minimise your risk – even when markets are volatile
Discover your route to the markets
Deal on oil and oil-linked ETFs with our leveraged or share dealing services, depending on your goals
Get trade ideas in real-time
See minute-by-minute news updates on oil markets with our in-platform Reuters feed
What is oil trading?
Trade oil to speculate on whether the commodity’s market price will rise or fall. With us, you won’t have to take ownership of the underlying asset or worry about physical delivery.
How can I trade oil in the UK?
- Open a trading account
- Find an opportunity
- Take a position
- Monitor your trade
Which is better: spot oil or oil futures?
You can trade oil markets on our undated ‘spot’ markets or futures prices – both available through spread betting and CFDs. Your choice will depend on your experience level and trading strategy.
Spot oil markets
Our proprietary ‘spot’ prices. They cost less to open, but you’ll pay an overnight funding charge.
- Take short-term positions – suitable for beginners and experienced traders
- Reflective of the underlying market but with no fixed expiries
- Perform technical analysis over the longer term with continuous charting
Oil futures
Contracts to buy and sell oil at a set price on a set date in the future. They cost more to open, but less to hold overnight.
- Trade over a longer time period with no overnight funding fees
- Positions still open at expiry will get rolled over to the next month
- Get a clear overview of your contract’s price within its date range
Start trading oil now
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading oil now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ 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 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading oil now
Start trading oil now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 15,000+ 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 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
Popular oil markets to watch
Take advantage of a range of oil markets, including:
- Crude oil markets
Trade popular oil types such as Brent Crude or West Texas Intermediary (US Crude) - Oil companies
Speculate on the future of companies within the oil industry by buying and selling shares - Oil-linked ETFs
Get diversified exposure to oil or oil companies via an exchange traded fund (ETF)
Looking for another commodity to trade? Use our market tool to find charts, data and news on the commodities you’re interested in.
Ways to trade oil with us
Spread bet or trade CFDs on the price of oil and oil-linked assets. Or invest in oil company shares or ETCs with our share dealing service.
CFD trading
Trade on leverage
No stamp duty; CGT applies but losses can be offset against profits for tax purposes*
Commission-free on oil
Trade in GBP for oil markets, except London Gas Oil
Spread betting
Most popular
Trade on leverage
Tax-free - keep 100% of your profits*
Zero commission* and flexible position sizing - from 6p per point
*Other fees may apply
Trade in GBP to avoid FX risk or charges
Share dealing
Buy and sell oil-linked shares or ETCs
Subject to stamp duty and CGT; invest tax-free in an ISA or SIPP*
Commissions from £3 for UK-listed shares, ETFs and ETCs
* Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
| Spread betting | CFD trading | Share dealing | |
| What is it? | Place a bet on the direction you think the price of an asset is headed | Speculate on whether an asset’s price will rise or fall between opening and closing your trade | Buy and sell company shares or ETFs. You’ll take ownership of the assets – which means you could receive dividends |
| Available markets | Oil company shares, commodity markets and oil-linked ETFs | Oil company shares, commodity markets and oil-linked ETFs | Oil company shares and oil-linked ETFs |
| Risk | Losses can exceed deposits, but retail clients benefit from negative balance protection3 | Losses can exceed deposits, but retail clients benefit from negative balance protection3 | Risk is limited to your initial outlay |
| Tax status | No capital gains tax (CGT) or stamp duty2 | No stamp duty, but you do pay CGT. Offset losses against profits for tax purposes2 | You’d pay stamp duty and CGT on profits, except trades made using a stocks and shares ISA2 |
| Learn more | Learn more | Learn more |
Oil costs and details
Spreads
The spread is our charge for executing your trade, and your main cost when trading oil via spread bets or CFDs. It is the difference between the buy and sell price that we wrap around the underlying market price.
Margin
Spread bets and CFDs are both leveraged, which means you can trade for the fraction of the cost of buying oil outright. The deposit you pay to open a position is called margin.
| Market | Spread for oil futures | Spread for undated oil markets |
| Oil - US Crude | 6 | 2.8 |
| Oil - Brent Crude | 6 | 2.8 |
| Heating Oil | 30 | 20 |
| No Lead Gasoline | 30 | 20 |
| Market | Retail |
| Oil - US Crude | 10% |
| Oil - Brent Crude | 10% |
| Heating Oil | 10% |
| No Lead Gasoline | 10% |
Your spread will vary depending on whether you trade oil futures or undated contracts. Futures have a wider spread, but no overnight funding charges – so are more cost-effective for longer-term trades.
Your profit and loss are based on the full value of the position – not just the margin. So leverage can magnify your profits, as well as your losses.
Start trading oil on the UK’s best trading platform1
Trade crude oil and other oil-linked markets on our suite of award-winning platforms.1
- Web-based platform
- Mobile trading app
- Meta Trader 4
Seize your opportunity with our user-friendly web trading platform.
You’ll find everything you need to trade oil markets, including risk management tools, our integrated Reuters feed and customisable alerts that notify you when your target price is hit.
Trade wherever you are, whenever you want with our trading apps for iOS and Android devices. You’ll get the same great features as the web app, including risk management tools and Reuters live stream.
Automate your trading and perform advanced analysis using over 18 bespoke apps with MT4 – a popular third-party platform for experienced traders.
Download it for free to start trading oil spot prices, as well as other commodities, forex pairs and indices.
Open your account
It's free to open an account, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open your account
It's free to open an account, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading today
Create a commodities trading account now.
Start trading today
Create a commodities trading account now.
Get the latest oil news
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Choose the right trading product for you.
Manage your risk with our range of tools.
Discover our cutting-edge web and mobile platforms.
1 Best platform for the active trader, best multi-platform provider and best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024. Best share dealing platform as awarded at the YourMoney.co.uk Investment Awards, 2024
2 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
3 Negative balance protection applies to trading-related debt only, and is not available to professional traders.
Connect with us
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% 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.
Professional clients trading spread bets and CFDs can lose more than they deposit.
Options and futures are complex instruments which come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. They’re not suitable for most investors. Before you invest, you should consider whether you understand how options and futures work, the risks of trading these instruments and whether you can afford to lose more than your original investment.
Trading stocks and shares ‘on margin’ within a US options and futures account – meaning that you only finance part of the cost of acquiring a position in a security – carries additional risks over buying securities on a fully funded basis and may result in losses exceeding your original investment. Trading on margin will also result in additional costs to you as the investor and any securities purchased using margin may be held as collateral by the lender, restricting both your rights as shareholder, and your ability to use the securities until the margin trade is closed. You should familiarise yourself with these risks before trading on margin.
The value of shares, ETFs and other ETPs bought through a share dealing account, a US options and futures account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Some ETPs carry additional risks depending on how they’re structured, investors should ensure they familiarise themselves with the differences before investing.
Share dealing and IG Smart Portfolio accounts provided by IG Trading and Investments Ltd, CFD accounts and US options and futures accounts are provided by IG Markets Ltd, spread betting provided by IG Index Ltd.
IG is a trading name of IG Trading and Investments Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 11628764), IG Markets Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 04008957) and IG Index Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 01190902). Registered address at Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA. IG Markets Ltd (Register number 195355), IG Trading and Investments Ltd (Register Number 944492) and IG Index Ltd (Register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The information on this site isn’t directed at residents of the United States, Belgium or any particular country outside the UK and isn’t intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.