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.
Indices
Trade on the world’s major stock indices and access 24-hour markets.
Live indices prices
| Markets | Sell | Buy | Change | Updated |
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| EU Stocks 50 |
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| FTSE 100 |
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| Germany 40 |
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| Japan 225 |
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| US 500 |
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| Wall Street |
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Prices above are subject to our website terms and conditions. Prices are indicative only.
Why trade indices with IG?
Key benefits
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24-hour dealing
Available on 16 indices – including Wall Street and FTSE 100
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Access over 30 global indices
Major and niche markets, from Wall Street to Greece 25
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Take a position on entire sectors
Including banking, retail and mining
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Benefit from low spreads
From only 1 point on major indices, including the FTSE 100
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Low margin rates
Gain full exposure with a small initial deposit, but remember leverage comes with increased risk
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Enjoy greater flexibility
Choose your position size for standard or mini contracts
Indices spreads
Deal on indices either as an option, spread bet or a CFD.
Index |
Barriers |
Spread betting |
CFDs |
MT4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT100 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wall street | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Germany 40 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Australia 200 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
See all indices markets and our full product details
What is stock index trading?
A stock index represents the top shares from a particular exchange. For example, the FTSE 100 represents the largest 100 companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. Other stock indices include Dow Jones and S&P (US), DAX and CAC (Europe), and Hang Seng and Nikkei (Asia-Pacific).
Indices provide the best way to gauge the performance of an industry, sector or an entire country’s stock market. If, on average, the share prices of the companies making up the index go up, the index will rise with them. And if they fall, it will drop.
Indices cannot be traded directly, as they are representations, rather than products in their own right. Instead, investors trade indices through derivatives such as options, spread bets and CFDs - stock indices are the most popular form of CFD trading.
Learn more about options, spread betting and CFDs and their potential risks.
Watch Sara explain the basics of indices trading less than two minutes
FAQs
Can I trade indices from a mobile?
Yes – you can trade over 17,000 markets, including our wide range of indices, from our mobile and tablet apps. Find out more about our trading platforms.
How do dividends affect index prices?
Dividend payments from the constituent shares of an index will generally cause the price of the index to fall. This is because the value of an individual share tends to drop on its ex-dividend date by the amount of the declared dividend.
If you have a futures position on an index, any expected dividend payments will be factored into the price so you won’t be affected by a drop. If you have a long CFD position on an index that lists a company offering a dividend you’ll receive the dividend, which should counter-balance any loss caused by the drop in the index price. And if you have a short position, you’ll pay the dividend instead.
How are indices priced?
Many indices, including the FTSE 100, are calculated using a capitalisation-weighted average. This means the size of each company is taken into account, so the more a particular company is worth, the more its share price will affect the index as a whole.
However, the Dow Jones and Nikkei for example, are price-weighted indices. This means shares with higher prices have more influence – so a stock trading at $100 is given 10 times more weight than one at $10.
Is IG listed on an index?
Yes – IG is part of IG Group Holdings plc, a member of the FTSE 250 with a market cap of £2.1 billion.1
1 IG Group Holdings plc, as at 31 May 2017.
2 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.
