Gold trading
Start trading gold online with the world's No.1 CFD provider.1
Call 010 500 8624 or email newaccounts.za@ig.com to talk about opening a trading account. We're here 24 hours a day from 9am Saturday to 11pm Friday.
Contact us: 010 500 8624
Call 010 500 8624 or email newaccounts.za@ig.com to talk about opening a trading account. We're here 24 hours a day from 9am Saturday to 11pm Friday.
Contact us: 010 500 8624
Why trade gold with us?
Trade gold spot prices
Open short-term positions with our exclusive undated gold market
Speculate on gold futures
Trade long-term gold price movements with futures contracts
Take your capital further
Get full market exposure for a small deposit, called margin
Get the best gold prices
Trade on some of the lowest gold spreads in the market – as little as 0.3 points
Choose to trade CFDs
Trade gold with our leveraged products or exchange traded funds
Manage your gold risk
Protect your capital with guaranteed stops, which only incur a fee if triggered
Ways to trade gold with us
Gold CFD trading | |
Markets to trade | Spot prices, futures, options contracts, shares and ETFs |
Main benefits | Go long or short on gold prices. Tax-deductible losses are useful for hedging2 |
Traded in | Contracts |
Commission | Share CFDs are subject to commission. All other markets are charged via the spread |
Platforms | Web, mobile app and advanced platforms |
Learn more |
What is gold trading?
Gold trading is a method of speculating on the price of gold online via spot prices, futures, options, shares and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Trading via CFDs means you don’t have to take ownership or delivery of the commodity.
How to trade gold online?
- Open a gold trading account
- Find an opportunity
- Take your first position
- Monitor and close your trade
Gold live price
Why is gold trading popular?
Gold trading is popular due to the metal’s reputation for being highly desired since ancient times. Coveted for both its cultural and financial value, there are a few benefits that make gold an attractive market, for example:
- It’s considered a ‘safe haven’ investment in times of financial turbulence
- It has a wide variety of industrial applications in electronics and computing, as well as jewellery manufacturing
- It tends to perform strongly in high-inflation scenarios and can therefore be used as a hedging tool
Top tips for trading gold online
Plan your trading
Develop a trading plan before you start, so that you’ll be less inclined to make emotional decisions when it comes to your gold positions. A good trading plan will outline details such as whether you want to trade or invest in gold, how much time and capital you want to spend on your gold trades, your preferred risk management tools, and much more.
Learn what moves gold
Make sure you understand the gold price drivers, such as supply and demand, before you start trading.
Analyse the market
Use charts to get an idea of how gold behaves over different timeframes. Look for patterns, wait for breakouts before trading, and trade with the trend. Compare up to four different timeframes at once with the charts in the IG trading platform, and get free trading signals to help you make your call.
Consider mining stocks or gold ETFs
Gain indirect exposure to gold by investing in individual mining stocks or a gold ETF – short for exchange traded fund. ETFs are baskets of assets that give you broad exposure to the gold market from just a single position. Speculate on the gold price instead of investing, you can use CFDs to go long or short on spot gold or the share price of companies that mine gold.
Trade gold on the UK’s best trading platform4
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Trade gold on the UK’s best trading platform4
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution
React faster with powerful technology
Our platform and apps are intuitive and highly responsive, so trading opportunities are always within reach
Grow your confidence with an established provider
We’re a FTSE 250 company that’s been leading our industry for nearly 50 years, so our expertise is second to none
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Trade gold on the UK’s best trading platform4
Trade gold on the UK’s best trading platform4
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution
React faster with powerful technology
Our platform and apps are intuitive and highly responsive, so trading opportunities are always within reach
Grow your confidence with an established provider
We’re a FTSE 250 company that’s been leading our industry for nearly 50 years, so our expertise is second to none
Gold trading costs and details
- Spreads
- Margin
The spread is our charge for executing your trade. It’s the difference between the buy and sell price, which we wrap around the underlying gold price.
Minimum spread for futures | Minimum spread for undated markets | |
Spot gold (100OZ) | 0.6 | 0.3 |
Alternative gold markets | Minimum spread |
Centamin stock | 0.255 |
Petropavlovsk stock | 0.165 |
ZKB Gold ETF | 0.75 |
The spread will vary, depending on whether you trade futures or our undated contracts. Futures have a wider spread, but no overnight funding charges – so are more cost-effective for longer-term trades.
If you choose to trade gold stocks and ETFs via CFDs you’ll be charged a commission instead of a spread.
CFDs are leveraged products, which means you can gain full exposure for a small deposit – called margin. This isn’t an extra cost to you, but it can make a big difference to the affordability of your trade.
Remember, leverage will magnify both profits and losses.
Market | Retail margin | Professional margin |
Spot gold (100OZ) | 5% | 0.45% |
Centamin stock | 25% | 22.5% |
Petropavlovsk stock | 25% | 22.5% |
ZKB Gold ETF | 20% | 9% |
When trading gold options, the margin for 'buying' an option is the opening price (or premium) multiplied by the size of the bet. The margin for 'selling' an option is the same as the margin when trading the underlying futures market.
Choose the world’s No.1 spread betting provider1
Seize opportunity on 17,000+ markets, including commodities, major indices and FX.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Choose the world’s No.1 spread betting provider1
Seize opportunity on 17,000+ markets, including commodities, major indices and FX.
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Choose the world’s No.1 spread betting provider1
Seize opportunity on 17,000+ markets, including commodities, major indices and FX.
Choose the world’s No.1 spread betting provider1
Seize opportunity on 17,000+ markets, including commodities, major indices and FX.
Get the latest gold news
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Gold price gives back some gains but WTI crude price and natural gas price keep rising
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Gold price and natural gas price fall but WTI crude price stabilises for now
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Gold drop slows while crude oil price recovers and natural gas prices rise
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1 Based on revenue excluding FX (published financial statements, June 2020).
2 Tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
3 Deal three or more times in the previous month to qualify for our best commission rate.
4 As awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2020 and Professional Trader Awards 2019.
5 Our spread for a particular share or ETF is calculated as a percentage of the current price – they are subject to variation, especially in volatile market conditions. Please note: we have tried to ensure that the information here is as accurate as possible, but it is intended for guidance only and any errors will not be binding on us.