What is a stock index, and what am I trading?

A stock index tracks a basket of shares, such as the US 500 or Germany 40, as a single number. You trade a CFD on that index, taking a long or short position on the whole benchmark without buying every share in it. You never own the underlying shares.

What does it cost to trade indices?

Every market runs on the same model: the spread, plus a flat commission where one applies, with nothing marked up. Index spreads move with the market, so check them live on the board above or on the live spreads page, and work out your all-in cost with the cost calculator.

What is the minimum deposit to trade indices?

$0 on Standard, $0 on Raw Spread. The two Pro accounts open from $5,000 and $100,000.

When can I trade indices?

Index trading hours follow the underlying markets and their sessions, so they vary by index. Hours are listed per instrument in the platform, and we explain how they are set in our answer on trading hours.

Which platform can I trade indices on?

MetaTrader 5, on desktop, in the browser, and through its own mobile apps. Your account and your pricing are the same on every device.

Global stock indices, long or short

Trade 20+ global stock indices on MetaTrader 5, long or short, with the spread and the commission in the open before you trade.

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Trading involves risk. You could lose more than your deposit.

US500US 500

Last5393.40.36%

Live pricing

The index board, live

Every index in the demo catalog, priced live. Search it, or scroll the board.

Pricing

Priced to trade, nothing hidden

Every market on YAL runs on the same simple model: the spread, plus a flat commission where one applies. Nothing is marked up, and nothing is buried. As a reference, EUR/USD on a Raw account is typically 0.1 pips plus $3.50 per lot, per side. Index spreads move with the market and are shown live on the board above. Work out the all-in cost of any trade with the cost calculator.

See live spreads

Typical EUR/USD spread, Raw

0.1 pips

plus $3.50 per lot, per side

Questions

Indices questions, answered

Get started

Open your account in four steps.

A clear path from sign-up to your first trade, in four steps.

No depositNo documents

Start Trading Try a free demo

01/ 04step 1 of 4
Register
A few details to get started.
No deposit to open
02/ 04step 2 of 4
Verify
Confirm your identity, securely.
ID and proof of address
03/ 04step 3 of 4
Fund
Add money by bank transfer or card.
From $0
04/ 04step 4 of 4
Trade
Go live on the platform you already know.
MetaTrader 5