The spread betting industry is expanding rapidly. Selecting an appropriate spread betting company for your investments can sometimes be difficult. Which spread betting company will you choose?
IG Index - An introduction
IG Index is the largest UK spread betting company. They were also the first UK spread betting company. Established in 1974, IG Index is still based in the heart of London however expansion has led it to opening offices in Dusseldorf, Singapore, and Melbourne.
IG Index now has a market capitalisation in excess of £1 billion. In 2006, the company turned over £90 million and generated a profit of £53 million. Their main online trading website, http://www.igindex.co.uk, generates up to 5,000 new clients per year and nearly 90 percent transact online.
By being Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority, IG Index is required to keep client funds ring-fenced. That ensures any client deposits are secure.
Why open a spread betting account with IG Index? By definition they the pioneers in the spread trading market. They are also one of the few firms to offer both financial and sports spread betting.
With IG Sport you can trade on all the main sports as well as novelty markets ie you can spread bet on football, cricket, golf, tennis, snooker, darts, NFL, basketball, ice hockey and politics markets.
80%+ of IG’s revenues come from the financial trading side of the business.
IG Index offers the financial spread betting options in the following areas:
Currencies - Over 60 currency pairs including all the major FX currencies
Indices. IG offers most of the major Global indices including FTSE 100, FTSE 250, Wall Street, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Germany DAX 30 and France CAC 40. Outside of Europe and the US, IG Index offers spread betting on Australia 200, Japan Nikkei225, Hong Kong Hang Seng 34, Taiwan All-Share, Singapore Blue Chip, India 50, Korea 200 and China H-Shares
Shares. IGIndex offers around 7,000 individual markets on shares including all the shares in the FTSE 350 (ie the combined FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 equities) plus a range of other "liquid" UK shares from companies with a market cap of £10m+. Outside the UK, IGIndex offer spreads on thousands leading US, European, Asian, and international equities
IG Index Commodities:
Softs / Grains: London Wheat, White Sugar, London Cocoa, Orange Juice
Metals: Gold, Silver, Copper, Platinum, and Palladium
Energy Markets: Brent Crude Oil, US Crude Oil (Nymex Crude Oil), Natural Gas, No Lead Gasoline, Heating Oil and Carbon Emissions
Apart from all the normal advantages of spread betting, with IG Index there are other benefits, they say:
"IG Index trading hours - open 24 hours a day from Sunday night to Friday night. IG quotes prices on leading indices even when the underlying markets are closed**
"mobile and PDA platforms
"stop loss options***
"a competitive and flexible margin – usually around 5 percent
"IG Index offers you a tight spread"
IG Index Account:
To apply for an online spread betting account with IG Index.
** note that the spreads on out-of-hours markets can be wider
*** note that not all stop losses are guaranteed
'IG Index' by DB, updated 24-Sep-07
For related pages also see:
IG Index, updated 12-Jun-08
IGIndex.com. First class online trading website, 24-hour dealing. Spreads: 2pt Daily FTSE, 4pt Daily Wall Street, 2pt Euro/USD, 3pt £/$...read article. IG Index Financial Spread Betting Markets, updated 16-Nov-07
IGIndex.com offers has live prices on FTSE 100, FTSE 250, Wall Street, Nasdaq 100, S+P 500, DAX, CAC, Forex...read article. IG Index, updated 24-Sep-07
An introduction for IG Index...read article. IG Group Profits 2008, updated 25-Jul-08
IG provide a good service, they attract traders and they keep them trading. That is not Clean Financial's opinion. That is the IG results talking. Yes they are the oldest spread betting company but that does not mean they should be, by default, the biggest. Just ask...read article. IG Group Spread Betting, updated 04-Mar-08
IG Group trading information, where to find free IG Group charts and prices, how to spread bet on Shares, including the IG Group...read article.
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Risk Warning: Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital and you may lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for all investors. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.
* Tax law is subject to change or may differ if you pay tax in a jurisdiction other than the UK.
