How to buy, sell and short Virgin Galactic shares
Virgin Galactic shares are the only way to get direct market exposure to the commercial human spaceflight sector. Here, we explain how to buy, sell and short Virgin Galactic shares, as well as how to trade Virgin Galactic options.
How to buy or invest in Virgin Galactic (SPCE) shares
You can buy Virgin Galactic shares in two ways: through share dealing or by derivatives trading. Share dealing means that you take direct ownership of Virgin Galactic stock, and you can profit if the shares increase in value or through any dividend payments.
Trading derivatives – such as CFDs and spread bets – means you can speculate on the price movements of Virgin Galactic shares without taking ownership of them. This enables you to trade with leverage – which grants you full market exposure while only committing a small deposit, known as margin.
Follow the steps below to invest in or trade Virgin Galactic shares:
Investing in Virgin Galactic shares
- Create or log in to your share dealing account
- Search for ‘Virgin Galactic’ (SPCE)
- Decide whether you want to trade at quote or on exchange
- Choose the number of shares you want to buy
- Confirm your purchase and monitor your investment
Trading Virgin Galactic shares
- Create or log in to your IG trading account
- Decide whether you want to trade CFDs or spread bets
- Search for ‘Virgin Galactic’ (SPCE)
- Choose your position size and select ‘buy’
- Confirm your trade and monitor your position
How much would it cost to invest in Virgin Galactic?
| Provider | FX | US best commission | US standard commission |
| IG | 0.5% | £0 | £10 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown | 1.0% | £5.95 | £11.95 |
| AJ Bell | 1.0% | £9.95 | £9.95 |
IG’s best commission is available to clients who place three or more investment positions in the previous calendar month. If you’d rather trade on the value of Virgin Galactic, you can do so with CFDs and spread bets. You’ll be able to:
- Get full exposure with a small deposit – usually just 20%-25%1 of the full value of the trade
- Trade spread bets without paying any tax2
- Offset your losses against profits for tax purposes with CFDs
How to sell and short Virgin Galactic shares
After investing in Virgin Galactic, you might want to sell your stake if the price starts to fall. Equally, you might want to short Virgin Galactic shares if you are trading with CFDs or spread bets, to generate a profit from the price falling.
Follow the steps below to either sell or short Virgin Galactic shares
Selling Virgin Galactic shares
- Create or log in to your share dealing account
- Search for ‘Virgin Galactic’ (SPCE)
- Select ‘sell’ in the deal ticket to close your investment
- Enter the number of shares you want to sell
- Confirm the sale
Shorting Virgin Galactic shares
- Create or log in to your IG trading account
- Search for ‘Virgin Galactic’ (SPCE)
- Choose your position size
- Choose ‘sell’ in the deal ticket to speculate on the price falling
- Confirm the trade and monitor your position
Virgin Galactic’s live market prices
How to trade Virgin Galactic options
To trade Virgin Galactic options, follow the steps below:
- Research the market
- Open an IG trading account
- Decide whether you want to buy or sell puts or calls
- Call 020 7896 0000 to place your trade
- Confirm your trade over the phone
Footnotes
1Deposits for leveraged trades are 20%-25% on 99.77% of tier one US shares.
2Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
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