Can you trade stock CFDs at Interactive Brokers?
It's not always immediately obvious whether a broker offers stock CFDs or only real stocks. And even when stock CFDs are available, fees are sometimes high and product selections can be thin.
The good news is that yes, you can trade stock CFDs at Interactive Brokers. Besides availability, we also checked fees - spoiler: they're low - and took great effort to size up Interactive Brokers's stock CFD selection.
I've thoroughly tested Interactive Brokers services with our analyst team by opening a real-money account and these are my most important findings:
- You can trade around 8,500 stock CFDs at Interactive Brokers; this compares to an average ca. 1,000-2,000 stock CFDs available at brokers tested by BrokerChooser
- Overall trading costs of stock CFDs at Interactive Brokers, including spreads and financing rates, are low
- You can manually set leverage at Interactive Brokers; this is a great way to control your risk exposure
Stock CFD fee class
|
Low |
---|---|
Stock CFDs (#)
|
8,500 |
Country of regulation
|
USA, Ireland, UK, Hungary, India, Australia, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore |
Demo account
|
Yes |
Minimum deposit
|
$0
|
Data updated on December 12, 2024
Where do we get these data? We regularly check or scrape broker fees at 100+ global brokers, and when it comes to product selection, we likewise regularly count (by hand if we need to) the number of stock CFDs available - this figure is unavailable at most broker comparison sites.
Stock CFD trading fees and conditions can differ greatly among brokers, so check BrokerChooser's list of the best CFD brokers in 2024 to see if there are better alternatives to Interactive Brokers. This ranking is based on an in-depth review and live-testing of more than 100 brokers, and incorporates trading costs as well as the general quality of each broker's services and trading platform.
What are stock CFDs?
First, let's start by explaining what a CFD is. CFDs, short for Contract for Difference, are trading instruments that allow you to speculate on the price movements of an underlying asset without actually owning it. Your profit or loss is based on the difference between the opening and closing price of the CFD.
In the case of a stock CFD, the underlying asset is a stock.
You can trade around 8,500 stock CFDs at Interactive Brokers. Just to give you some context: the number of stock CFDs available at brokers tested by BrokerChooser ranges from a few dozen to as many as 20,000; an average CFD broker would offer about 1,000-2,000 stock CFDs.
So what's the difference between trading a stock CFD and a “real” stock? In the case of a real stock, you would actually buy that stock at an online broker; then later, when selling the stock, you would realize a profit or a loss. With a stock CFD, you don't buy the stock; you simply make a bet with your broker that the price of the underlying stock will rise. If it does rise during the period you keep your position open, you will get the difference between the closing price and the opening price of the stock; if not, you will lose the same amount. (It is also possible to bet on the price of a stock to fall; this is called short selling.)
Another key difference is that stock CFDs and other CFDs are typically traded using leverage. The main idea of trading with leverage is controlling a much larger trading position than you could otherwise afford with just the money you deposited. This can amplify your gains, but also your losses.
For example, in the case of 10:1 leverage, a $100 initial margin can get exposure to a stock position worth $1,000; so a 5% increase in the price of the underlying stock would bring you a gain of $50, or 50% of your initial margin. However, in the same way, a 5% drop in the price of the stock underlying your position would result in a 50% loss on your initial margin.
Do you feel like stock CFDs are too risky for you? I have good news: it is possible to trade real stocks at Interactive Brokers.
The risks and benefits of stock CFDs
Downsides and risks of stock CFD trading
Trading stock CFDs is risky, and generally not recommended for beginners. Here's why you, too, should be extra careful:
- High leverage means it's easy to lose a substantial part of your initial investment even if the underlying asset falls by just a small percentage
- As you don't own the underlying stock, you won't be eligible for stockholder benefits such as dividends, and you also may not be fully covered by investor protection
- CFD trading is a complex activity that requires the use of sophisticated analytical and trading tools, a thorough understanding of the market and often round-the-clock attention
Benefits of stock CFD trading
Still, stock CFD trading is popular for a reason. Here's what attracts most traders:
- High leverage also means the potential for high profits over a relatively short time period
- You can access a diverse range of underlying stocks from many global markets and industries, and they're often more liquid than their “real” counterparts
- By short selling, you can make a profit even if the price of the underlying asset falls
Want to exploit these benefits while steering clear of the risks? Read our overview of some of the most common CFD trading tips and strategies.
Setting leverage
At Interactive Brokers, you can change default leverage levels manually. This is good news if you're a bit more risk averse and would prefer to trade with lower leverage.
Stock CFD trading costs at Interactive Brokers
Stock CFD trading fees at Interactive Brokers are relatively low, making this broker a great choice if trading costs are your primary consideration.
Before we show you the details, here's a quick rundown of the cost types you'll face when trading stock CFDs at any broker:
- The spread is the difference between the bid (sell) and the ask (buy) price. Brokers set spreads at their own discretion, taking into account market liquidity and the price volatility of the asset.
- Some brokers also charge a commission for each trade - this can be a flat fee (such as $1), a percentage of the value of your trade, or a combination of these. Brokers who charge a commission often quote a smaller spread.
- An overnight fee (also expressed as the financing rate) must be paid if you hold your position for more than one day - or more precisely, when your CFD position is open past a specific daily cutoff time.
To illustrate overall stock CFD trading costs at Interactive Brokers and its competitors, we calculated with a $2,000 position size, holding it for one week and then selling it.
Apple CFD
|
$1.1
|
$4.1
|
-
|
---|---|---|---|
Vodafone CFD
|
$4.4
|
$10.7
|
-
|
Financing rate class
|
Low | Average | - |
Data updated on December 12, 2024
Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.
Further reading
- How to buy natural gas at XTB?
- Interactive Brokers CFD trading conditions explained
- Interactive Brokers S&P 500 CFD spreads explained
- S&P 500 CFD fees at Interactive Brokers explained
- Euro Stoxx 50 CFD fees at Interactive Brokers explained
- CFD fees at Interactive Brokers explained
- Apple CFD fees at Interactive Brokers explained
- CFD financing rates at Interactive Brokers
- CFD risk warning at Interactive Brokers explained
- Stop loss orders & risk management at Interactive Brokers for CFDs
- Long position for CFDs at Interactive Brokers explained
- Maximum leverage for CFDs at Interactive Brokers explained
- Apple stock CFDs for $1,000 at Interactive Brokers
- Short position for CFDs at Interactive Brokers explained
- Apple CFD leverage at Interactive Brokers explained
- Can you short at Interactive Brokers?
- Is CFD trading tax-free at Interactive Brokers?
- Negative balance protection for CFDs at Interactive Brokers
- Interactive Brokers crypto CFD trading conditions explained
- Interactive Brokers commodity CFD trading conditions explained
Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.