Indices trading
Get closer to opportunity across global markets.
Access major global indices at StoneX Trading like the UK 100, Wall Street and Germany 40. Choose a spread betting or CFD trading account and get tight spreads on European, US, Asian and Australian indices.
Sector-specific trading
Trade sector and thematic index trends
Extensive markets
Access 40+ global indices with extended hours
Competitive pricing
Clear spreads. No surprise markups
Why trade indices with us?
Transparent pricing
Clear spreads and reliable execution.
Institutional heritage
100+ years in financial markets.
Flexible trading options
Cash and futures index markets.
Live pricing
Other types of indices
Thematic indices
Trade themed indices including green stocks, remote economy companies and cannabis shares.
UK sector indices
Choose from 14 sector indices including energy, banking and mining.
Latest index news
Economic calendar
Our key figures
1m+
account holders*
1000s
of markets
0.002s
average execution speed
99.99%
of trades successfully executed
* StoneX retail trading live and demo accounts globally in the last 2 years.
Ways to trade indices
Indices spread betting | Indices CFDs | |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Tax-free trading in UK* | Trading in currency of underlying market |
Trade type | £ per point | CFDs in market base currency |
Tax | No UK Capital Gains Tax (CGT) or Stamp Duty* | No UK Stamp Duty. You do pay UK CGT but losses can be offset against tax* |
Markets available | Access 40+ global index markets across cash and futures | Access 40+ global index markets across cash and futures |
Costs and charges | Fixed spreads and overnight financing | Fixed spreads and overnight financing |
Platforms |
*Spread Betting and CFD Trading are exempt from UK stamp duty. Spread betting is also exempt from UK Capital Gains Tax. However, tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Please seek independent advice if necessary.
Award-winning trading apps
Trade on mobile, winner of Best Trading App at the 2025 Good Money Guide Awards.
TradingView charts
Use advanced technical analysis tools to assess index setups.
Performance Analytics
Review trading behaviour and refine your workflow.
How to trade indices
If you think an index such as the FTSE 100 will rise, you can take a position on StoneX Trading’s equivalent market, the UK 100.
If the market moves in your favour, you make a profit for every point. If it moves against you, you make a loss for every point. Your platform shows real-time profit or loss.
With StoneX Trading, you can trade indices as a spread bet or CFD.
What are indices?
Indices are popular markets that enable you to diversify your portfolio and gain exposure to multiple stocks at once.
How to trade indices
Learn how to trade global indices, what affects their price movements, and what to look out for on the economic calendar as an index trader.
Indices market hours
Discover the market hours for all the major indices and find out when is the best time to trade them.
Evaluate with a demo
Assess your strategy with £10,000 virtual funds and no capital at risk.
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Options
Trade options on over 40 markets, including the UK 100, US SP 500 and Germany 40.
Indices explained
What is an index?
An index measures the collective price performance of a group of shares, usually from a particular country. Indices are often used to track and compare the performance of stock markets.
The performance of each index is dictated by the performance of the underlying share prices that make up that index. An index is constructed and calculated independently, sometimes by a bank or by a specialist index provider like the FTSE Group. The choice of the companies included in the index is determined by index calculation rules or by a committee. Not all indices use the same rules, however.
DNA of a stock market index
Price-weighted indices
The index is calculated by adding together the share price of each stock in the index and then divided by the number of stocks in that index. Higher priced stocks exert more influence on the performance of the index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is an example of a price-weighted index.
Market capitalisation weighted indices
The index is calculated by adding up the market capitalisation of each stock and then dividing by the number of companies. Larger companies with a higher market cap will exert more influence on the performance of the index. The FTSE 100 is an example.
Composite indices
Composite Indices provide a statistical measure of a market or sector’s performance over time. They are useful for measuring an investor’s portfolio performance. They may be price-weighted or market capitalisation weighted. The NASDAQ is an example of a composite index as it measures the performance of an index that is heavily weighted towards technology stocks.
What moves indices?
Indices tend to be affected by broader market movement which affects the price of many companies. Typical examples include:
- Political unrest or uncertainty
- Economic data – e.g. inflation statistics or unemployment numbers
- Changes to interest rates
- Good or bad news affecting several big companies in the same industry– e.g. mining or banking
- The performance of the shares within that index
Benchmark indices
Sometimes you will hear journalists and analysts refer to a market’s benchmark index – this is the index most commonly used to track where a particular market is heading. A few of the main ones include:
- The Dow Jones (Wall Street) – the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the original stock market index, was created by Charles Dow in 1884. It follows the price of the 30 biggest companies on the New York Stock Exchange.
- Standard & Poor’s 500 (US SP 500) – this is the most widely tracked measure of the US stock market. It tracks the prices of the biggest 500 companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.
- FTSE 100 (UK 100) – launched in 1984, the FTSE tracks the prices of the biggest companies by market capitalisation listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- Nikkei 225 (Japan 225) – this is the main stock market index for Japan, tracking the shares of 225 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
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