How to buy Australian shares in the UK

Choose how you want to buy Australian stocks – investing or trading

Many people in the UK want to get exposure to the Australian share market, for the diversity of opportunity it offers. IG has made the process fast and cost effective: in most cases you can buy Australian shares directly with us, unlike many other foreign stocks which need to be dual-listed in the UK or US.

There are two ways to capitalise on the movements of Australian stocks – by investing in the stocks directly, or by trading Australian stocks using derivatives. Here’s a quick overview of each option:

Investing in Australian shares

When you invest in Australian stocks, you are buying shares outright at their full value with the intention of holding onto them for a period of time.

Why would I invest?

• You want to receive dividends or income from your investment
• You want to diversify your investment portfolio
• You want to access investment opportunities in another economy
• You plan to invest over a lengthy period, often several years
• You want to own shares outright in a particular company
• You want voting rights in the companies you invest in

Trading Australian shares

Trading Australian shares involves the use of derivative products such as spread bets or contracts for difference (CFDs). These products enable you to profit from the movement of Australian share prices without having to own any stock.

Why would I trade?

• You can open a position with a small initial deposit, called margin
• You can make a profit whether the stock’s value goes up or down
• You won’t need to pay tax on spread betting profits
• You can offset any CFD losses against profits, as a tax deduction

When trading on margin with leveraged products, it’s important to remember that your exposure is based on the full value of the position. So while this can lead to magnified profits, it can equally lead to magnified losses. It’s important that you fully understand the product before trading.

Open a shares account

With IG, you can choose between opening a share dealing account for investing, or a trading account for spread betting and CFDs – or both. Sign up easily using our web form or via our app. We’ll ask you a few questions about your experience and financial situation, and you could be trading within minutes.

Create an account today

Understand the charges to buy Australian shares

If you’re looking to invest in Australian stocks, then you’ll pay a minimum commission of A$10 to open a position. We’ll automatically convert your pounds into Australian dollars for just a 0.5% fee. There may be other charges, like custody fees, to consider.

How much does it cost to buy Australian shares from the UK?

If you’re investing by buying shares outright, you can see how competitive our prices are below:

^{Data taken from competitor websites, correct at 15/03/2021}

See our full share dealing charges

If you’re looking to trade derivatives on Australian shares with us, you’ll pay the same rates as for any of our share markets. There are no commission charges on spread bets, as instead you’ll pay the spread which is wrapped around the market price. We do charge a low commission on CFD share trades, however.

Learn about our full spread betting and CFD trading charges

Choose the Australian shares you want to buy

Australia is home to many well-known international companies, including sector leaders and global brands. You can buy Australian shares listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, which is usually referred to as the ASX. Examples of major Australian shares include:

• The largest minerals and metals mining firm in the world, BHP Billiton
• The second largest mining firm in the world, Rio Tinto PLC
• Biopharmaceutical firm and vaccine distributor CSL
• Multinational financial services company Commonwealth
• Consumer goods brand Woolworths

Create an account today

Buy Australian stocks

You can buy Australian shares directly with a share dealing account, or alternatively you might choose to trade on the prices of Australian shares with spread bets and CFDs. Here’s how to get started on each type of account.

Buying Australian shares summed up

• You can invest in or trade on Australian shares if you’re interested in the Australian market
• Open a CFD or spread betting account with us to trade on share prices, or open a share dealing account to buy the stock outright
• Charges on buying Australian shares with us start from a minimum of A$10
• There are many popular and well-performing stocks in the Australian market to choose from
• You can buy or trade shares in a number of Australian companies, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and ANZ Banking Group