Indices trading
Take your position on over 80 international indices1 with the world’s No.1 spread betting and CFD provider,2 or trade a selection of US indices through our listed options and futures account.
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Why trade indices with us?
Seize exclusive opportunities on more 24-hour indices than any other provider
Benefit from our deep liquidity – increasing the chance of your larger trades being accepted
Get spreads from 1 point on the FTSE 100, 1.2 on the Germany 40 and 0.4 on the US 500
Deal on our award-winning platforms and mobile apps³
Give yourself an edge with the only UK provider to offer weekend trading on key indices⁴
Choose between over-the-counter (OTC) and listed products to trade indices
More index trading hours, more opportunity
We offer over 40 more weekly trading hours than our nearest competitors, so you can:
- Open or edit positions when other traders can’t
- Hedge your weekday positions with a weekend one on the same market
- Act on breaking news, macroeconomic events and earnings reports as they happen
- FTSE 100
- Germany 40
- Wall Street
| Provider | Weekly trading hours (out of 168 total hours) |
| IG | 158 |
| eToro | 100 |
| CMC markets | 114 |
| City Index | 113 |
| Provider | Weekly trading hours (out of 168 total hours) |
| IG | 158 |
| eToro | 97.5 |
| CMC markets | 113.5 |
| City Index | 113 |
| Provider | Weekly trading hours (out of 168 total hours) |
| IG | 158 |
| eToro | 114.5 |
| CMC markets | 115 |
| City Index | 113.5 |
This data is based on analysis of the FTSE 100, Germany 40 and Wall Street offerings from our UK competitors’ websites – it’s correct to the best of our ability as of 23 July 2024. Some trading hours have been rounded up or down to the nearest half hour. This table is for comparative purposes only, and the data is subject to change.
Discover our indices markets
- Popular indices
- New indices
- Weekend indices
Find an index to trade
Search real-time prices, find your next trade.
Ways to trade indices with us
When you trade indices with us, you’ll use spread bets, contracts for difference (CFDs) or listed options and futures to gain exposure to price movements. Below are some of the key features of each.
Spread betting
-
Tax-free - keep 100% of your profits*
-
Zero commission and flexible position sizing - from 3p per point
-
Trade in GBP to avoid FX risk or charges
CFD trading
-
No stamp duty; CGT applies but losses can be offset against profits for tax purposes*
-
Commission-free on indices
-
Trade in underlying market currency
US options and futures
-
No stamp duty; CGT applies but losses can be offset against profits for tax purposes*
-
From $1 per contract to open, capped at $10 per leg for equities, and $0 to close
-
Trade in US dollars
* 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 | Listed options and futures trading | |
| Main benefits | Profits are tax-free in the UK5 | Tax-deductible losses are useful for hedging5 | Trade simple and complex strategies on a specialist platform |
| Accessible to | All clients | All clients | All clients |
| Traded in | GBP (£) or other base currency per point of movement | Contracts | Options are traded in lots, based on the number of contracts; futures are traded in contracts |
| Tax status | No capital gains tax (CGT) or stamp duty5 | No stamp duty, but you do pay CGT. Offset losses against profits for tax purposes5 | No stamp duty, but you do pay CGT. Offset losses against profits for tax purposes5 |
| Commission | Commission-free; you’ll pay a spread | Commission-free; you’ll pay a spread | You’ll pay commission; we don’t charge a spread |
| Platforms | Web platform, mobile trading app and MT4 | Web platform, mobile trading app and MT4 | Web platform and mobile trading app |
| Learn more | Learn more | Learn more |
What are indices?
Indices measure the performance of a group of shares that are listed on a stock market.
Because there are no underlying physical assets to exchange, indices are traded with financial derivatives like spread bets, CFDs, and listed options and futures.
How can you trade indices in the UK?
- Decide how you want to trade: spread betting, CFD trading or listed options and futures trading
- Create a trading account with us
- Learn about indices, and find the index you want to trade
- Take steps to manage your risk
- Open, monitor and close your position
Benefits of index trading
- Speculate on a group of shares for less than the cost of trading them individually
- Get exposure to an entire sector or economy at once
- Hedge against a drop in the value of your share portfolio
Risks of index trading
- When trading with us, your index trade is opened using leverage6
- Taking a position on an entire sector or economy subjects your trade to market risk
- Hedging can be a useful way to limit your losses, but it doesn’t guarantee protection against potential losses
Open an account now
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account 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.
Open an account now
Open an account 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
Indices costs and details
Margin
Spread betting, CFD trading, and listed options and futures trading enable you to take a position with leverage.6 The margin required to open a position depends on the market, but the profit or loss of a trade is calculated based on the full size of your position and could substantially outweigh your margin amount.7
| Market | Retail margin | Leverage equivalent |
Wall Street* |
5% |
1:20 |
Germany 40 |
5% |
1:20 |
US Tech 100* |
5% |
1:20 |
FTSE 100 |
5% |
1:20 |
US 500* |
5% |
1:20 |
Hong Kong HS 50 |
10% |
1:10 |
Japan 225 |
5% |
1:20 |
Weekend UK 100 Cash |
5% |
1:20 |
Weekend Germany 40 Cash |
5% |
1:20 |
Spreads
A market’s spread varies depending on market conditions – it’s what you pay us to execute your spread bet or CFD index trade. We calculate it by determining the difference between the current buy and sell prices of a market. We’re constantly working to keep our spreads among the lowest in the industry.
| Market | Spread betting minimum spread | CFD trading minimum spread | MT4 |
| Wall Street | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Germany 40 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| US Tech 100 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FTSE 100 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| US 500 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Hong Kong HS 50 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Japan 225 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Weekend UK 100 Cash |
8 | 8 | - |
| Weekend Germany 40 Cash | 15 | 15 | - |
Commission
When you trade indices using a US options and futures account with us, you’ll pay low commissions.8
| All available index markets | Commission fee8 |
Options: opening |
$1.00 per contract ($10.00 maximum per leg)** |
Options: closing |
$0 |
Options on futures: opening |
$2.50 per contract |
Options on futures: closing |
$0 |
Options on micro futures: opening |
$1.50 per contract |
Options on micro futures: closing |
$0 |
Futures: opening and closing |
$1.25 per contract, each way |
Micro futures: opening and closing |
$0.85 per contract, each way |
* Wall Street, the US Tech 100 and the US 500 are available to trade via spread bets, CFDs, and listed options and futures. The margin and leverage equivalent provided above for each of these markets don’t apply to listed options trading. When trading listed options, buying power varies based on strategy. It also depends on US regulatory requirements.
** A leg is one part of a multi-component options trade.
Trade indices on the UK’s best trading platforms3
Seize your next opportunity on our award-winning platforms and mobile trading apps.3
- Web-based platform
- Mobile trading app
- MetaTrader4
Take control of your indices trading with our clear price charts, in-platform news, analysis and more across our account types.
Take a position wherever you are, receive trading alerts and analyse price action with charting tools across account types.
Automate your index spread bet or CFD positions with MT4, one of the most popular third-party trading platforms.
Get the latest indices news
-
DAX 40 nears record highs as German economy anticipates growth under new leadership
2025-05-06T04:53:23+0100 -
European indices rebound on optimism ahead of key growth and inflation data
2025-04-29T04:50:02+0100
Start trading now
Log in to your account now to access today’s opportunities in a huge range of markets.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Start trading now
Log in to your account now to access today’s opportunities in a huge range of markets.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
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.
Try these next
Discover the differences between these two products and decide which is best for you.
Explore the features of OTC and listed futures, and how you can get exposure.
Take control of your risk with our in-platform tools – including stops, limits ourand alerts.
1 We offer 81 indices markets for CFD trading, and 69 indices markets for spread betting.
2 Based on revenue (published financial statements, 2023).
3 Spread betting and CFD trading platform and app: best platform for the active trader, best multi-platform provider and best finance app as awarded at the 2024 ADVFN International Financial Awards. US options and futures platform: best options trading platform as awarded at the 2024 ADVFN International Finance Awards; best overall options trading platform of 2024 as awarded by Investopedia (criteria, evaluation and ranking determined by Investopedia); No.1 desktop options trading platform and No.1 desktop futures trading platform as awarded at the 2024 StockBrokers.com awards.
4 Weekend trading hours on indices are from 8am on Saturday to 10.40pm on Sunday (UK time). Positions still open at 10.40pm (UK time) on a Sunday will roll over into regular weekday positions (with any attached stops-loss and take-profit orders remaining in place).
5 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
6 Leveraged products are complex financial instruments, with which an upfront deposit – called margin or buying power – is used to open a larger trade. Your margin will only be worth a certain percentage of your trade, but potential profits and losses will be calculated based on the total position size, not your margin. This makes leveraged trading inherently risky, and it should never be approached without a trading strategy and adequate risk management measures in place. With us, you’ll trade listed futures in a margin account and listed options in a margin or cash account. Options positions aren’t fully cash-secured (eg you aren’t necessarily required to put up the buying power in full upfront) in a margin account. In a cash account, options trading is non-marginable (ie you can’t borrow cash to establish positions, so you’ll commit the full value of your trade upfront).
7 The base currency for trading on our US options and futures platform is USD. We auto-convert deposits in a different currency to USD and we automatically convert any realised profit, loss, funding, dividend adjustments or commission to your base currency. We charge a currency conversion fee of 0.5% for deposits and withdrawals.
8 Applicable exchange, clearing and regulatory fees still apply to all trades. Some additional applicable commissions are capped at $10 per leg on equity option trades. The following index and futures products are excluded from the capped commissions offer: SPX, RUT, VIX, OEX, XEO, DJX and XSP. Learn more about our charges.
Connect with us
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.
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.