Trade on Global Stock Indices

With market sentiment shifting from one moment to the next, betting on indices is a simple way to take a general view of the market.

Using our award-winning PureDeal platform you can place spread bets on markets based on the world’s major stock indices including: FTSE 100, FTSE 250, Germany 30, France 40, Wall Street, US SPX 500, Australia 200, Japan All-Share, Hong Kong HS34 and many more.

Why bet on indices?

Betting on indices allows you to take a wider view on a collection of stocks, rather than a specific company. Placing a 'sell' bet on an index can be an effective way to protect your physical portfolio in turbulent times.

Unlike individual shares, indices can be traded 24 hours on IG Index.

We offer a range of daily and futures contracts, offering the chance to take short- or long-term views on your chosen index or sector.

Key features of spread betting with us include:

• 24-hour dealing - We offer spreads on some leading stock indices even when the underlying markets are closed.
• Guaranteed Stops - You can protect yourself against index volatility with risk protection, so your maximum possible loss is known in advance.
• Tax free – With spread betting, the only charge is our competitive dealing spread. Tax law can be changed or may differ depending on your personal circumstances.

Looking ahead

If you have a view on how a particular index will perform over the coming months, you can bet on our forward markets. We offer bets on a range of contract months, often quoting prices for months which are not quoted in the equivalent futures market. You can also take a position on one of our sectors, and we offer a full range of online options based on leading stock indices.

For more information on the Indices we offer, please visit Stock Indices.

The above comments do not constitute investment advice and IG Index accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of them.

Updated: 02/03/09