FTSE 100 Financial Spread Betting
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FTSE 100 Spread Betting

FTSE 100 Spread Betting


Note: Rather than being called the FTSE or FTSE 100, in spread betting and CFD trading, the FTSE 100 is often called the 'UK 100'.


Indicative FTSE 100 Prices





Stock Market Index Comparison


A stock market index comparison table covering the FTSE 100 (UK 100) and other popular markets:

Typical In-Hours Spread Sizes

FTSE 100 (UK 100) Daily 0.8 1 1 2
Dow Jones (Wall St) Daily 1 1 1 1.4
DAX 30 (Germany 30) Daily 1 1 1 1
S&P 500 (SPX 500) Daily 3 4 5 5
NASDAQ 100 (US Tech 100) Daily 5 4-10 3 1
CAC 40 (France 40) Daily 0.8 1 1 1
ASX 200 (Australia 200) Daily 1 5 3 1
Japan 225 Daily 8 8 13 5
Hong Kong Daily 8 10 20 7
Stock Indices - Minimum Stake £1 £1 £0.5 £1
Comparison Notes.


Where Can I Spread Bet on the FTSE 100?


You can spread bet on the FTSE 100 with any of these spread betting firms:

UK Stock Market Analysis and Trading News


Date Trading Update
23-Mar-18 [8:49am]

FTSE 100 Daily Market Update

  • The FTSE 100 is currently trading at 6,897.9.
  • Overnight, the market closed down -168.8pts (-2.41%) at 6,844.0.
30 Minute Chart Analysis

Neutral Stock Market The stock index is above the 20-period MA of 6,879.0 and below the 50-period MA of 6,921.7.

1 Day Chart Analysis

Falling Stock Market The market is trading below the 20-day MA of 7,109.0 and below the 50-day MA of 7,238.3.

Update by Gordon Childs, Editor, CleanFinancial
09-Oct-17 [12:15pm]

FTSE 100 Daily Market Update

  • The FTSE 100 is currently trading at 7,500.1.
  • In the last session, the market closed up 4.0pts (0.05%) at 7,524.3.
1 Day Chart Analysis

Rising Stock Market The stock index is higher than the 20-day moving average of 7,365.7 and higher than the 50-day moving average of 7,368.7.

Update by Gordon Childs, Editor, CleanFinancial
14-Dec-15 [11:32am]

Stock Market Bounce Might Be Temporary





Update by Joshua Mahony, Research Analyst, IG Index
14-Dec-15 [7:45am]

Another Poor Start for the UK Stock Market





Update by Craig Inglis, Head of Product Development, CMC Markets
08-Dec-15 [11:55am]

Stock Market Sell-Off Could Come Back



(And it's not just the FTSE 100, if you look closely then the DAX is looking precarious too).



Update by Joshua Mahony, Research Analyst, IG Index
26-Aug-15 [11:25am] Stock Markets Looking Very Confused

With big candles in both directions on the charts, for the FTSE 100 and German DAX, it is very difficult to work out if the market has bottomed out.

The markets could easily go either way (sorry).

The Dow Jones however is looking a lot more bearish.



Update by Joshua Raymond, Chief Market Strategist, IG Index
24-Aug-15 [11:30am]

Charting Analysis During the Current Sell-Off



Be warned though, the markets are highly volatile, there may be many false technical signals out there.



Update by Joshua Raymond, Chief Market Strategist, IG Index
24-Aug-15 [9:06am] The Market Mayhem Continues



Update by David Papier, Sales Trader, ETX Capital
20-Aug-15 [12:26pm] FTSE 100 Heading to 6,000?

The DAX has given up half of this year's gains and the chart is showing a potential Death Cross for the German market.

Skip to 3mins for the FTSE 100.

The chart for the UK market continues to look bearish and there has been a strong break lower.



Update by IG Index
20-Aug-15 [9:35am]

Stocks Sell-Off After Dovish FOMC Meeting:





Update by Craig Inglis, Head of Product Development, CMC Markets

» For more see Stock Market Trading News & Analysis.

Readers please note:


Where Can I Find Live Prices and Charts for the FTSE 100?


We do feature some fairly accurate FTSE 100 prices above.

The CFD chart below will also give readers a good guide to FTSE 100 (UK 100) prices and market trends.


The above charts from Plus500 are typically based on near term FTSE 100 futures.

If you'd like live FTSE 100 spread betting prices and charts, you will normally need a financial spread betting account.

You can also use a spreads account to access shorter-term daily FTSE markets. Readers should note that opening such an account is normally subject to suitability and status checks.

If your account application is accepted then, once logged in, you will be able to access the charts and the current prices. Access is normally free, however, the catch is that you could get the odd sales letter or email from your firm.

Of course, if you do decide to trade, be aware that spread trading and contracts for difference carry a high degree of risk and you may lose more than your initial deposit.

Advanced Charts for the FTSE 100


Although the charting packages normally differ from platform to platform, in order to assist you with your FTSE 100 analysis, most charts generally have:
  • A large range of time intervals - 1 minute, 2 minute, 10 minute, 1 hour, 4 hour, 1 month etc
  • A variety of chart types - candlestick, line and OHCL charts
  • Drawing tools and features - Fibonacci Time Zones, Arcs and Fans

The charts on Financial Spreads also offer more advanced features, including:
  • BackTesting, Tailored Indicators and Analysis tools
  • Popular overlays - Ichimoku Clouds, Parabolic SAR, EMA, Chande Kroll Stop etc
  • A wide selection of secondary charts - ADX, MACD, Volume Index, Historical Volatility etc
  • Email alerts for when your chosen market hits a pre-set level

Example FTSE 100 chart on the Financial Spreads platform

FTSE 100 Trading Guide - Example Chart


The brokers below give account holders access to real time trading charts/prices:
Advert: FTSE 100 Spread Betting, sponsored by FinancialSpreads.com.
You can spread bet on the FTSE 100 with Financial Spreads.


Where Can I Spread Bet on the FTSE 100 for Free?


Stock market trading is never risk free. However, if you want to use a Practice Account, that lets you try financial spread betting, please see below for further details.

When deciding which trading option is right for you, remember that spread betting, in the UK, is exempt from income tax, stamp duty and capital gains tax*.

If you're trying to find a free spread betting platform then keep in mind that you can trade the FTSE 100 without paying brokers' fees or commissions through companies such as:

Free Demo Account


If you are interested in a free Test Account which allows users to get a better understanding of financial spread betting, and practice trading markets like the FTSE 100, then you could always take a look at: All of the above companies provide a Demo Account that lets users practice trading, apply a variety of orders, try out strategies and review charts.


How to Spread Bet on the FTSE 100

How to Spread Bet on the FTSE 100?


As with many global markets, investors can spread bet on stock market indices, like the FTSE 100, to either rise or fall.

If we log on to Financial Spreads, we can see they are showing the FTSE 100 Rolling Daily market at 5785.3 - 5786.3. This means an investor can spread bet on the FTSE 100 market:

  FTSE 100 Spread Betting Example Going above 5786.3, or
  FTSE 100 Trading Example Going below 5785.3

When spread betting on the FTSE 100 index you trade in £x per point.

Where a point is one point of the index itself.

Should you choose to invest £4 per point and the FTSE 100 moves 24 points then that would alter your profit/loss by £96. £4 per point x 24 points = £96.

Rolling Daily Index Markets

An important aspect of this Rolling Daily Market is that there is no closing date for your trade. You do not have to close your trade, should it still be open at the end of the day, it will roll over to the next session.

If you allow your trade to roll over and are spread betting on the market to:

  FTSE 100 Trading Example Increase - then you will be charged a small overnight financing fee, or
  FTSE 100 Trading Example Decrease - then a small payment is normally credited to your account

Our article Rolling Daily Spread Betting goes into more detail about Rolling Daily Markets and includes a fully worked example.


FTSE 100 Trading Example 1


So, if we take the above spread of 5785.3 - 5786.3 and assume:
  • You have analysed the indices markets, and
  • You feel that the FTSE 100 index will rise above 5786.3
Then you could decide that you want to buy a spread bet at 5786.3 and risk, let's say, £2 per point.

With this trade you make a profit of £2 for every point that the FTSE 100 index moves higher than 5786.3. However, it also means that you will make a loss of £2 for every point that the FTSE 100 market moves below 5786.3.

Considering this from another angle, should you buy a spread bet then your profits (or losses) are worked out by taking the difference between the closing price of the market and the initial price you bought the market at. You then multiply that difference in price by your stake.

Therefore, if after a few trading sessions the UK stock market rose, you might want to close your position to lock in your profit.

So if the stock market increased then the spread, set by the spread betting company, might move up to 5849.4 - 5850.4. In order to close your position you would sell at 5849.4. Accordingly, with the same £2 stake:

P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = (5849.4 - 5786.3) x £2 per point stake
P&L = 63.1 x £2 per point stake
P&L = £126.20 profit

Speculating on stock market indices, whether by spread betting or not, doesn't always work out. In this example, you had bet that the index would go up. Nevertheless, it might go down.

If the FTSE 100 index began to drop then you might choose to close your spread bet in order to restrict your losses.

Should the market pull back to 5731.9 - 5732.9 then you would close your spread bet by selling at 5731.9. If so, you would lose:

P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = (5731.9 - 5786.3) x £2 per point stake
P&L = -54.4 x £2 per point stake
P&L = -£108.80 loss

Note - FTSE 100 Rolling Daily prices as of 1-Oct-12.


Advert: FTSE 100 Spread Betting, sponsored by FinancialSpreads.com.
You can spread bet on the FTSE 100 with Financial Spreads.

FTSE 100 Interactive Trading Example


Below we have a simple interactive example from Financial Spreads on how spread betting works when trading the FTSE 100.

This quick example shows how the Stop Loss works and also how your upside is unlimited.

Note that Stop Losses are not guaranteed but you can opt for a Guaranteed Stop Loss with Financial Spreads.




How to Spread Bet on the UK 100

How to Spread Bet on the UK 100 - Example 2


Looking at a spread trading website like Tradefair, we can see that they are showing the UK 100 Rolling Daily market at 5787.8 - 5788.8. This means an investor can spread bet on the UK 100 market:

  UK 100 Spread Trading Example Rising above 5788.8, or
  UK 100 Spread Betting Example Falling below 5787.8

Whilst financial spread betting on the UK 100 index you trade in £x per point. So, should you decide to risk £5 per point and the UK 100 moves 27 points then that would make a difference to your bottom line of £135. £5 per point x 27 points = £135.

So, if you continue with the above spread of 5787.8 - 5788.8 and assume that:
  • You have done your research, and
  • Your research suggests that the UK 100 index will move higher than 5788.8
Then you might decide that you want to go long of the market at 5788.8 and risk, for the sake of argument, £3 per point.

So, you make a profit of £3 for every point that the UK 100 index moves above 5788.8. However, such a bet also means that you will lose £3 for every point that the UK 100 market decreases below 5788.8.

Looked at another way, if you ‘Buy’ a spread bet then your profit/loss is calculated by taking the difference between the settlement price of the market and the price you bought the market at. You then multiply that difference in price by your stake.

As a result, if after a few sessions the UK stock market started to move upwards then you could choose to close your trade in order to guarantee your profit.

So if the market moved up then the spread might change to 5831.6 - 5832.6. You would close your position by selling at 5831.6. Therefore, with the same £3 stake your profit would be calculated as:

Profits (or losses) = (Closing Value - Initial Value) x stake
Profits (or losses) = (5831.6 - 5788.8) x £3 per point stake
Profits (or losses) = 42.8 x £3 per point stake
Profits (or losses) = £128.40 profit

Financial spread trading doesn't always work out as you would have liked. In this case, you wanted the UK index to rise. Nevertheless, it might decrease.

If the UK 100 index decreased, contrary to your expectations, then you might decide to close/settle your trade to limit your losses.

So if the spread fell to 5751.2 - 5752.2 you would close your trade by selling at 5751.2. Accordingly, your loss would be:

Profits (or losses) = (Closing Value - Initial Value) x stake
Profits (or losses) = (5751.2 - 5788.8) x £3 per point stake
Profits (or losses) = -37.6 x £3 per point stake
Profits (or losses) = -£112.80 loss

Note: UK 100 Rolling Daily spread betting market accurate as of 28-Nov-12.


How to Trade FTSE Futures

How to Trade FTSE Futures


If we go to a platform like FinancialSpreads, you can see that they are currently pricing the FTSE 100 March Futures market at 5717.3 - 5721.3.

Therefore, you can speculate on the FTSE 100 index:

  FTSE 100 Spread Trading Example Settling above 5721.3, or
  FTSE 100 Trading Example Settling below 5717.3

On the expiry date for this 'March' futures market, 15-Mar-13.

As with the daily markets above, with the FTSE futures market you speculate on the FTSE 100 index in £x per point. So, if you decided to have a stake of £4 per point and the FTSE 100 moves 35 points then that would alter your profits (or losses) by £140. £4 per point x 35 points = £140.


FTSE 100 Futures Trading Example


If we think about the spread of 5717.3 - 5721.3 and assume that:
  • You have analysed the UK stock market, and
  • Your analysis suggests the UK index will finish above 5721.3 by 15-Mar-13
Then you may decide to buy the futures market at 5721.3 and risk, let's say, £5 per point.

With this contract you make a profit of £5 for every point that the FTSE 100 index rises higher than 5721.3. Nevertheless, it also means that you will make a loss of £5 for every point that the FTSE 100 market moves lower than 5721.3.

Thinking of this in a slightly different way, if you are spread trading and you 'Buy' a market then your P&L is calculated by taking the difference between the settlement price of the market and the initial price you bought the spread at. You then multiply that price difference by the stake.

As a result, if, on the expiry date, the FTSE 100 settled higher at 5749.9, then:

P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = (5749.9 - 5721.3) x £5 per point stake
P&L = 28.6 x £5 per point stake
P&L = £143.00 profit

Trading UK stock market futures is not always easy. With this example, you thought the index would increase. Nevertheless, the UK stock market could fall.

If the FTSE 100 fell and settled lower at 5696.4, you would end up making a loss on this trade.

P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = (5696.4 - 5721.3) x £5 per point stake
P&L = -24.9 x £5 per point stake
P&L = -£124.50 loss

Note - FTSE 100 March Futures market correct as of 27-Sep-12.


Financial Spread Betting on FTSE 100 Companies


Simply click on the company you're interested in spread betting on.

As well as broker ratings, indicative prices and charts, we talk you through the most popular spread betting questions for the UK firm:

Company Name Symbol FTSE 100 Shares
Spread Betting Guides »
Broker
Ratings
Charts &
Prices
Admiral ADM.L Admiral Spread Betting Rating Chart
Anglo American AAL.L Anglo American Spread Betting Rating Chart
Antofagasta ANTO.L Antofagasta Spread Betting Rating Chart
Associated British Foods ABF.L Associated British Foods Spread Betting Rating Chart
AstraZeneca AZN.L AstraZeneca Spread Betting Rating Chart
Aviva AV.L Aviva Spread Betting Rating Chart
BAE Systems BA.L BAE Systems Spread Betting Rating Chart
Barclays BARC.L Barclays Spread Betting Rating Chart
BHP Billiton BLT.L BHP Billiton Spread Betting Rating Chart
BP BP.L Spread Betting on BP Rating Chart
British American Tobacco BATS.L BAT Spread Betting Rating Chart
British Land BLND.L British Land Spread Betting Rating Chart
British Sky Broadcasting BSY.L BSkyB Spread Betting Rating Chart
BT BT-A.L BT Spread Betting Rating Chart
Burberry BRBY.L Burberry Spread Betting Rating Chart
Diageo DGE.L Diageo Spread Betting Rating Chart
Dixons Carphone DC.L Dixons Carphone Spread Betting Rating Chart
Easyjet EZJ.L Easyjet Spread Betting Rating Chart
Evraz EVR.L Evraz Spread Betting Rating Chart
Experian EXPN.L Experian Spread Betting Rating Chart
Fresnillo FRES.L Fresnillo Spread Betting Rating Chart
GKN GKN.L GKN Spread Betting Rating Chart
GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L GlaxoSmithKline Spread Betting Rating Chart
Glencore GLEN.L Glencore Xstrata Spread Betting Rating Chart
Hammerson HMSO.L Hammerson Spread Betting Rating Chart
Hargreaves Lansdown HL.L Hargreaves Lansdown Spread Betting Rating Chart
HSBC HSBA.L HSBC Spread Betting Rating Chart
International Consolidated Airlines IAG.L IAG Spread Betting Rating Chart
ITV ITV.L ITV Spread Betting Rating Chart
Kingfisher KGF.L Kingfisher Spread Betting Rating Chart
Land Securities LAND.L Land Securities Spread Betting Rating Chart
Legal & General LGEN.L Legal and General Spread Betting Rating Chart
Lloyds LLOY.L Lloyds Spread Betting Rating Chart
London Stock Exchange LSE.L LSE Spread Betting Rating Chart
Marks & Spencer MKS.L Marks and Spencer Spread Betting Rating Chart
Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets MRW.L Morrison Spread Betting Rating Chart
National Grid NG.L National Grid Spread Betting Rating Chart
Next NXT.L Next Spread Betting Rating Chart
Pearson PSON.L Pearson Spread Betting Rating Chart
Petrofac PFC.L Petrofac Spread Betting Rating Chart
Prudential PRU.L Prudential Spread Betting Rating Chart
Randgold Resources RRS.L Randgold Resources Spread Betting Rating Chart
Reckitt Benckiser RB.L Reckitt Benckiser Spread Betting Rating Chart
Rio Tinto RIO.L Rio Tinto Spread Betting Rating Chart
Rolls-Royce RR.L Rolls Royce Spread Betting Rating Chart
Royal Bank Of Scotland RBS.L RBS Spread Betting Rating Chart
Royal Dutch Shell RDSA.L Shell Spread Betting Rating Chart
Royal Mail RMG.L Royal Mail Spread Betting Rating Chart
Sainsbury (J) SBRY.L Sainsburys Spread Betting Rating Chart
Schroders SDR.L Schroders Spread Betting Rating Chart
Smith & Nephew SN.L Smith and Nephew Spread Betting Rating Chart
SSE SSE.L SSE Spread Betting Rating Chart
Standard Chartered STAN.L Standard Chartered Spread Betting Rating Chart
Tesco TSCO.L Tesco Spread Betting Rating Chart
Tullow Oil TLW.L Tullow Oil Spread Betting Rating Chart
Unilever ULVR.L Unilever Spread Betting Rating Chart
Vodafone VOD.L Vodafone Spread Betting Rating Chart
Whitbread WTB.L Whitbread Spread Betting Rating Chart
WPP WPP.L WPP Spread Betting Rating Chart

The above FTSE 100 constituents are subject to change - for the latest constituents see FTSE.com indices.

To get broker ratings as heat maps, also see Broker Recommendations.



Individual Shares Spread Betting Guides


For more individual equities guides, also see:


Financial Spreads » "With FinancialSpreads.com you get all the normal
advantages of Spread Betting plus..." » read Financial Spreads review.



Applying Technical Analysis to the FTSE 100


Below, an old but still useful case study on the UK stock market by Shai Heffetz, InterTrader, 28-Apr-2011.

Being an index of the 100 biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE 100 is considered a quite reliable yardstick of the health of the economy in general.

If one looks at the period since the index started at 1000 on the 1st of January 1984, the picture certainly looks healthy. The current value of 6041 represents growth of more than 500 per cent over the 27-year term.

The fact of the matter is, however, that the index is currently well below the record level of 6950.6 it reached in December 1999, which means that in effect we have seen negative growth over the past 12 years.

FTSE 100 Technical Analysis

If we consider technical analysis of the FTSE 100 then, looking at the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo on the candlestick chart below, everything seems to point to a bull market as the price is far above the cloud.

It is also well above the red Tenkan-Sen (short-term average) and the blue Kijun-Sen (longer-term average). The green Chinkou Span line is also well above the price 26 days ago, strengthening the perception of a bull market.

There are, however, a couple of things that could indicate that we should not jump to conclusions. The red Tenkan-Sen has turned flat, which indicates short-term uncertainty in the market, and the cloud is also very thin, which further points to indecisiveness in the market.

If the price should break through the recent high of 6064.80, we might see it test the previous high of 6106.80 it reached on 8 February. A cautious trader would not enter a medium or long-term position long position before this happens. A potential stop loss level in this case is the red Tenkan-Sen line.

FTSE 100 Spread Betting Chart

In the current market, traders should wait for further signs of weakness before entering into a short position. If the price drops as far as the Ichimoku cloud, it could be on its way to test the previous low of 5505.30 on 16 March.

A careful trader will wait for the price to break downwards out of the cloud before going short, but this could rob you of most of the profits in the swing trade. An alternative, but riskier, approach would be to go short as soon as the price drops below the blue Kijun-Sen.



Advert: FTSE 100 Spread Betting, sponsored by FinancialSpreads.com.
You can spread bet on the FTSE 100 with Financial Spreads.


About the FTSE and the London Stock Exchange


The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is one of the world's oldest stock exchanges. It's been trading for over 300 years. According to the LSE website it started life in the coffee houses of 17th century London (pre-Starbucks).

For readers who are not familiar with the term 'FTSE 100' it is simply an index of the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. The index is maintained and owned jointly by the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange.

The index came into being on 1 January 1984 with a base value of 1,000. It reached a record level of 6950.6 on 30 December 1999. The financial crisis of 2007–2010 saw it drop dramatically to 3,500. Since then it has recovered to a large extent.

FTSE Definitions

  • FTSE: Financial Times Stock Exchange. These firms (FT and LSE) are jointly responsible for the compilation and maintenance of the main stock indices reflecting the performance of the UK's top shares
  • FTSE 100: The index of the UK's top 100 companies, as ranked by their market capitalisation. Also referred to as UK100
  • FTSE 250 or FTSE MID 250: The index of the next 250 FTSE companies as ranked by their market capitalisation
  • FTSE 350: The index of the top 350 UK companies by market capitalisation. A combination of the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 stocks
  • FTSE ALL SHARE: An index covering about 800 shares representing 98% of UK stock market value
  • UK 100: In spread betting and CFD trading, the FTSE 100 is often called the 'UK 100'

For more details visit the official LSE Website: londonstockexchange.com.

For the latest view on the FTSE 100 index see Daily Stock Market Review.



Trading Risk Warning
'FTSE 100 Spread Betting' edited by Jacob Wood, updated 23-Mar-18

For related articles also see:





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