The features of the best CFD trading platforms

Online brokers offer Contract for Differences (CFDs), which allow traders to speculate on the difference in the closing and opening prices of financial security without actually owning the asset. CFD traders are expected to accurately predict the direction of CFD assets’ prices to maximize their potential profits. If he is incorrect, however, he is likely to lose his money. What is CFD trading? As Traders Union reported, CFD trading is the business of purchasing and selling CFD contracts, usually through broker platforms. 

CFD trading is a way to trade the price movements of financial securities by placing ‘buy/sell orders. It does not require you to own the underlying asset. All contracts for different trades must be settled in cash. You will need a good understanding of trading, sufficient trading capital or money, an internet-enabled device, and an account with an online broker to trade CFDs.

You will need an online CFD broker to start trading CFDs. This financial investment company allows its clients to trade CFDs through specialized software called ‘trading platform.’ When choosing a brokerage company, you should look at the following qualities: security, regulatory status and trading platform: fees, trading instruments, minimum deposit, minimum deposit, and prices.

CFDs: Features

CFDs have certain features that make them appealing to traders. Below are some of the key features:

 Margin and leverage

This tool increases traders’ exposure by multiples of the money initially set aside for trading. Margin refers to the money needed to open significant trade positions. Each broker will list the maximum leverage and margin requirements it allows for each asset. If a trader allows maximum leverage to be 1:500 for significant currency pairs, this would mean that they are enabling maximum power to be 1:1,000. This means that $500 is equal to $1. With a ZAR 100 deposit, you can open positions worth ZAR 50,000.

Leverage allows traders to make greater profits if the market favors their trade position. However, leverage also increases risk as power can increase losses and cause the trader to lose more if the market turns against them.

Derivative

A contract for difference can be described as a financial derivative. It is based upon the price movements of another asset, the underlying asset. For example, the equity shares of British American Co. Plc (BAT) are listed. You can buy shares of BAT or become a shareholder by trading on the stock exchanges LSE and JSE.

Trading BAT CFDs is not a way to bet on its price direction, but you can. While you won’t own BAT shares, BAT CFDs can only be traded when the stock exchange is open. The stock market price for actual BAT shares determines the price of BAT CFDs.

Size of the contract

CFD trading is based on the standard size or quantity of each asset. A lot refers to the total number of financial instruments that make up the contract. If you trade 100 ounces of Gold CFDs in a standard lot, you have sold 100 ounces. Contract quantities for crude oil are typically 1,000 barrels. For stock CFDs, a typical lot consists of 100 shares. One hundred bushels make up a primary lot in CFD contracts for wheat. One familiar lot in forex trading is equivalent to 100,000 units of currency.

CFD Assets

CFDs can be used in many financial markets due to their versatility. CFDs can forecast the price movement of any tradable financial security. Each broker lists all CFD trading instruments available on its platform. Here are some of the most popular CFD asset classes:

Shares CFDs

CFD instruments are available for the shares of the most well-known companies that trade on different exchanges around the globe. They are mainly from the American and European stock markets. Apple, Microsoft, Shell, Tesla, and Nestle are some examples. CFDs for shares mirror the share price of the underlying company shares as they are traded on the exchange. If a trader is following the news, analysis, and company news of Microsoft Inc., the software giant, he might speculate on the company’s share prices through a CFD trade.

Commodities

These include industrial raw materials as well as agricultural products that are sold in standardized quantities. Hard commodities are resources that can be mined and extracted from nature, such as gold, silver, and copper. You can find gold, silver, copper, crude oil, natural gas, and other hard commodities. Soft commodities are agricultural products that come directly from the farm, such as, e.g. wheat, coffee, cocoa, corn, cotton, etc. Although most commodities can be traded on futures exchanges, CFDs can be sold on broker’s platforms. Traders may speculate on commodity prices and profit from price movements. However, trades can lead to losses if they are incorrect.

What Can I Trade?

IQ Option is loyal to its past binary options success, which was very profitable for brokers. IQ Option now offers 50 binary options, and they list them first. Forex traders can only trade 41 currency pairs. At the same time, 26 cryptocurrencies provide greater exposure to this sector, with leverage up to 1:100. There are only four commodities available: gold, silver, and two oil contracts. Retail traders will find that the 181 equity CFDs and 24 ETFs are sufficient to suit their portfolios. Overall, the asset selection is average. Let’s look into some IQ options review to learn more about the trading process.