CFDs and Low Margins

We offer competitively low margins across our range of markets.

Low margin rates

To open a position with us you only need to put up a fraction of the full contract size, known as 'initial margin' or 'deposit margin'. Our initial margin rates for share CFDs start at just 5%.

• Share CFDs: 650 shares from only 5% (including BP and Vodafone)
• Forex: from just 0.5% of the full contract value
• Indices: £250 per contract on FTSE^®

Manage leverage

By attaching a guaranteed stop, you will never lose more than your initial margin. In return for an up front payment on each position, you put an absolute cap on potential losses.

You can also use guaranteed stops to control your leverage. For example, say you wanted to buy one contract on our FTSE^® 100 Cash market, with a guaranteed stop 30 points away. This would require a deposit of just £300, being £10 (the equivalent value per index point) x 30 (the stop distance).

Non-guaranteed stops

We also offer free non-guaranteed stops, trailing stops and limit orders, but these do not offer the same level of protection as guaranteed stops.

A non-guaranteed stop will trigger an order to close your position once the selected level has been breached. However, if the market moves very quickly or gaps, your position could be closed at a worse level than the one selected. A non-guaranteed stop will reduce your deposit requirement but not by as much as a guaranteed stop.

Tiered margining

Please note that if you have a large position, your initial margin will be calculated using a table of four incremental tiers. This system has enabled us to offer low margins on our 6000 global shares.

See our tiered margining page for a full breakdown of how the system works.