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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% 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. 69% 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.

Futures trading

Take longer-term positions without owning any assets. Choose between pure-form US futures or trading on underlying futures contracts with spread bets and CFDs.

* Demo accounts only available for spread betting and CFD trading

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

Why trade futures with us?

Access a range of futures markets

Access to US-listed futures

Trade pure-form micro or major futures on a wide range of markets

Deep internal liquidity with a futures account

Access to over-the-counter futures

Get exposure to underlying futures prices with spread bets and CFDs

Transparent pricing on UK futures trading

Transparent pricing

Know your costs for longer-term trades up front, with no overnight funding fees

Round the clock dealing with a futures trading account

Round-the-clock dealing

Trade index futures 24/71 with spread bets and CFDs and 23/7 on a range of listed futures

Award-winning futures trading platform

Award-winning technology2

Deal from our web or mobile apps – whether you trade listed or OTC futures

Go long or short on our futures trading platform

Huge selection of markets

Access over 17,000 OTC markets as well as US-listed futures to suit your strategy

Discover thousands of futures markets

Platform

Trade US-listed futures

Enjoy access to pure-form US futures on a wide range of markets, such as stocks, ETFs and futures options. All this, on an award-winning platform,2 with low commissions, and fantastic trading content from our colleagues at tastylive.

Trade on futures prices with spread bets or CFDs

You can take a position on underlying futures prices over the counter, using spread bets and CFDs. Again, an award-winning platform2 is all yours. You’ll speculate on the underlying market price, without entering the futures contract yourself. This can make your longer-term positions more cost-effective, as futures carry no overnight fees.

Platform

Ways to trade futures with us

Trade directly on US-listed futures in the UK or speculate on underlying futures prices with spread bets and CFDs.

Here are the key benefits of each:

US-listed futures Spread betting CFD trading
Main features Pure-form options and futures are both derivative products. Futures enable you to speculate on the upward or downward direction of a futures contract. Options are contracts between two parties to exchange shares at a specific price by a certain expiration date Spread betting stakes an amount of money for every point the underlying market moves. Spread bets are leveraged, meaning you put down a deposit to gain exposure to a position, with profit and loss calculated on the full position size. CFDs are the buying and selling of contracts for difference. CFDs are leveraged, meaning you put down a deposit to gain exposure to a position, with profit and loss calculated on the full position size
Markets Equity index futures, interest rate futures, forex futures, commodity futures and more Index futures, commodity futures, bonds and rates futures, share forwards, forex forwards and ETF forwards Index futures, commodity futures, bonds and rates futures
Listed vs OTC Listed contracts OTC – trading on underlying OTC – trading on underlying
Traded in $-denominated contracts £ or other base currency per point of movement Contracts
Liquidity Our listed product range includes some of the most liquid futures and futures options Our spread bet futures markets, however, remain highly liquid at all times thanks to our large number of clients and our technology Our CFD futures markets, however, remain highly liquid at all times thanks to our large number of clients and our technology
Tax
No stamp duty. Tax deductible losses are useful for hedging3
No capital gains tax (CGT) or stamp duty3 No stamp duty, but you do pay CGT. Losses can be offset as a tax deduction3
Commission Micro futures from $0.85 and major futures contracts from $1.25 Commission-free Commission-free
Platforms Web platform and mobile trading app Web platform, mobile trading app and MT4 Web platform, mobile trading app and MT4
Learn more Learn more Learn more

What are futures?

Futures are contracts that enable traders to lock in the current market price, without exchanging the asset until a predetermined future date.

When you trade with us, you can take a position on listed futures, or on an underlying future’s price using spread bets or CFDs.

How do I trade futures?

  1. Understand how futures trading works
  2. Create an IG trading account
  3. Place your first trade
  4. Monitor and close your position

Benefits of futures trading in the UK

  • Take your capital further with leverage
  • Access a huge range of markets
  • Capitalise on rising and falling prices
  • Hedge existing exposure
  • Get better execution with our deep internal liquidity

Risks of futures trading in the UK

Equity risk

If you don’t have enough non-marginable equity to cover your buying power requirement, your account will be on margin – ie you’ll be borrowing money.

Price limits

You can’t take a position beyond certain limits. ‘Limit up’ is when the asset price reaches the upper limit set by an exchange, while ‘limit down’ is when the price reaches the lower limit.

Mark to market risk

Futures’ profit and loss gets realised each day based on the closing marks published by the exchange. So, even if you haven’t closed a position, it’ll mark to market each day.

Cash sweeps

Cash movements (or sweeps) due to overnight requirements or mark to market profits and losses could lead to a futures maintenance call being issued on your account.

Open a UK futures trading account in minutes

Open a UK futures trading account in minutes

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 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Open a UK futures trading account in minutes

Open a UK futures trading account in minutes

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 50 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.

Costs and details

Our futures markets are designed to replicate the pricing and expiry dates of an underlying contract.
See our costs and details below.

  • US options and futures
  • Spread bet futures
  • CFD futures
Tick size Tick value
(standard)
Market hours Overnight requirement
E-Mini S&P 500 Futures 0.25 $12.50 5pm – 4am $12,980
Crude Oil Futures 0.01 $10
(cents/barrel)
5pm – 4am $9,389
Gold Futures 0.1 S10
(100 troy oz)
5pm – 4am $11,000
Three-month SOFR 0.0025 $6.25 5pm – 4am $220
Euro FX Futures 0.00005 $6.25 5pm – 4am $2,310

Want to take a smaller position? Trade our mini or micro futures contracts. They work in the same way as full-sized futures, with the same benefits.
To take a shorter-term position, try daily funded bets.

Value of one contract
(standard)
Market hours Dealing spread Margin requirement
(retail)
FTSE 100 Futures £10 7am – 9pm 4 5%
All other times 8
Wall Street Futures $10 8am - 9pm 6 5%
9.15pm - 9.20pm 17
10pm - 11pm 17
All other times 10
Oil – US Crude $10
(cents/barrel)
1am – 11pm 6 10%
Gold $100
(100 troy oz)
24 hours
(except 10pm – 11pm)
0.6 5%
Treasury Bond
(Decimalised)
$10 11.30pm – 10pm 4 20%

Want to take a smaller position? Trade our mini futures contracts for indices, commodities and bonds. They work in the same way as full-sized futures, with the same benefits.

To take a shorter-term position, try daily funded bets.

Value of one contract
(standard)
Market hours Dealing spread Margin requirement
(retail)
FTSE 100 Futures £10 7am – 9pm 4 5%
All other times 8
Wall Street Futures $10 8am - 9pm 6 5%
9.15pm - 9.20pm 17
10pm - 11pm 17
All other times 10
Oil – US Crude $10
(cents/barrel)
24 hours
(except 10pm – 11pm)
6 10%
Gold $100
(100 troy oz)
24 hours
(except 10pm – 11pm)
0.6 5%
Treasury Bond
(Decimalised)
$10 11.30pm – 10pm 4 20%

Want to take a smaller position? Trade our mini futures contracts for indices, commodities and bonds. They work in the same way as full-sized futures, with the same benefits.

To take a shorter-term position, try daily funded bets.

Trade futures on the UK’s best trading platforms2


Trade anything, anywhere, anytime on our award-winning platforms.2

  • US options and futures platform
  • Web-based platform
  • Mobile trading app

Trading on the tastytrade platforms gets you secure, fast, and reliable trade execution with real-time prices4 and more.

You can choose the platform that suits your trading preferences and strategy – with unique price alerts, interactive charts and a suite of risk management tools available on each.

You can choose the platform that suits your trading preferences and strategy – with unique price alerts, interactive charts and a suite of risk management tools available on each.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

Open a futures trading account in minutes

It's free to open an account, takes less than five minutes, and there's no obligation to fund or trade.

FAQs

How does IG ensure deep liquidity on futures markets?

Futures are a highly liquid market, but there are times when this isn’t the case.

Our listed product range includes some of the most liquid futures and futures options. This can help in reducing entry and exit slippage.

Our CFD and spread bet futures markets remain highly liquid at all times thanks to our large number of clients and our technology – ensuring best execution even on larger trades.

For our CFDs and spread bets on commodity and bond futures, the last dealing day may not be the same as the underlying exchange-traded contract. As these futures approach their expiry date, the market can become illiquid – because most traders will have already closed or rolled over their contract to avoid physical settlement. Spreads often widen as a consequence.

By having our contracts expire slightly earlier than in the underlying, we ensure you receive the best price that we can offer.

Try these next

Find opportunities across 17,000+ markets.

Protect your capital with our in-platform tools.

Discover the advantages of spread bets and CFDs.

1 24/7 excludes the hours from 10pm Friday to 8am Saturday (UK time), and 20 minutes just before the weekday market opens on Sunday night.
2 Best trading platform as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards and Professional Trader Awards 2024. Best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024. Best platform for options trading – ADVFN International Finance Awards 2024.
3 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
4 tastytrade account must be funded in order to receive real-time quote data.