You can use spread betting to speculate on the future direction of market prices, enabling you to profit irrespective of whether underlying market prices are rising or falling.
If you believe a market will rise, you buy (go long) and your profits will rise in line with any increase in that price. Similarly, if you expect a market to fall, you can sell (go short) and your profits will rise in line with any fall with that price. Equally, your losses will rise if the market moves against you.
Video Tutorial
Spread Betting Example: UK 100
Our UK 100 index price is currently trading at 5000/5001 (sell price/buy price). You believe the UK 100 index will rise over the next two weeks and decide to buy at our current price of 5001. You buy with a stake size of £10 per point.
Winning Bet
Over the next two weeks, the UK 100 price rises to 5050/5051.
Deciding to cash in your profits, you now close your trade by selling your stake back at our new sell price of 5050. This represents a 49-point gain in your trade which, when multiplied by your £10 stake nets you a £490 tax-free profit*.
Losing Bet
Let's look at what would have happened had the UK 100 fallen.
Over the next two weeks, the UK 100 falls to 4950/4951, putting your spread bet into an open loss.
Deciding to take your loss, you now close your trade by selling your stake back at our new sell price of 4950. This represents a 51-point loss in your trade which, when multiplied by your £10 stake, nets your a £510 loss.
See detailed examples of how to spread bet indices, shares or currencies with City Index or see our Spread Betting Video Tutorial below:
Still unsure about how you can spread bet with City Index? Call 0800 0721107 for answers or let one of our in-house sales executives give you a run-through of the City Index trading platform.
