CFD or Contract for Difference is the advanced trading strategy popular among veteran or experienced traders. This kind of trading is not allowed in the US. However, Contract for Difference trading is a common form or derivative trading that allows traders to use their speculations on the rise and fall of the prices of fast-moving global financial markets. In CFD trading, traders agree to exchange on a particular asset’s price. They will also have to agree on a certain time frame from which the contract will be opened until it is closed. Among the advantages of CFD trading is that it gives traders the opportunity to figure out the movements of the price. Keep on reading as we’ll explain more what is CFD share trading.
Learning The Basic Terms
To fully understand CFD trading meaning and what is CFD share trading, we need to learn some terms that are commonly used.
- Short and Long
Traders in this form of trading can speculate price movements. They can also follow the traditional ways wherein profits can be earned based on the rise and fall of the prices in the market. “Going short” refers to the selling part and “going long” for the buying. These two trades will be necessary when the position is closed. - Leverage
The trading in CFD is leveraged. In a leveraged form of trading, traders do not need to commit to the full cost of the outset to get exposure to a large position. It is important to note that even though the leverage in CFD allows traders to spread their capital share further, their profit of loss will still be computed based on their position’s full size.
This is why it is vital to keep an eye on the leverage ratio and make sure that the trader is within their means. - Margin
The term “trading on margin” is sometimes used to refer to leveraged trading. In this form of trading, the margin, or sometimes called funds, is necessary to open and maintain a position that represents a part of the whole. The two types of margins in CFD trading are the deposit margin, necessary to open a position, and maintenance margin, used when the trade is close to gaining losses that the deposit margin and additional funds in the account of the trader will not cover.
Understanding What Is CFD Share Trading: How Does It Work?
The trader does not need to buy or sell underlying assets in the CFD trading. In this form of trading, the traders buy or sell some units of certain instruments. By doing this, traders can earn multiples of the number of CFD units that were bought or sold for each point the instrument’s price moves in favor of them. The trader will also make a loss once the price moves against them.
In this part, we will explain the four key concepts to know what is CFD share trading. We will discuss spreads, deal sizes, durations, and profit and loss.
Spread and Commission
The buy price and the sell price are two common terms used for the prices in CFD trading.
When the trader can open a short CFD, the term used is the selling price, or sometimes called the bid price. If the trader can open a long CFD, then the term will be the buy price or the offer price. More often than not, the selling price is a little lower than the current market price. On the other hand, the buy price is somewhat higher. A spread is the difference between the two prices.
In most cases, the spread covers the cost to open a CFD position. To know and see the cost of the trade, traders need to adjust the buy and sell prices. The exception is the shared CFDs is not charged through the spread but by commission-based. It means, to open a share, the buy and sell prices should match the underlying market’s cost and charge. Speculations on the share prices are relatively closer in CFD trading than buying and sharing the shares in the market.
Deal Size
Standardized contracts or lots are used for trading CFDs. The size of CFDs mostly depends on the assets that were sold. In such cases, the form of trading mimics how assets are traded in the market. On the other hand, the size of the contract is, in most cases, represents one share in the trading for share CFDs. The trader has to buy 500 CFD contracts in order to open a position that mimics buying 500 shares of the said company.
Duration
In CFD trading, a trade is closed when it is placed in the other direction of the person who opened it. Say, for example, trader A bought a position worth 1,000 gold contract. This position will be closed if it will be also sold by the same price. However, in forward contracts, its expiry date is sometime in the future. There are also other charges, such as overnight funding charges, that will be added in the spread.
Profit and Loss
To calculate the profit or loss gained from the a CFD trade, the number of contracts is multiplied by the value of each contract. The sum will then be multiplied by the difference of both closing and opening price. On the other hand, to compute the exact amount of both the profit and loss from a trade, the charges and fees paid, such as overnight funding charges and commission fees, should be deducted.
Conclusion
Learning what is CFD share trading is vital when you want to expand your knowledge and understanding of investments in cryptocurrency. It is essential to know everything, from the basics to the nitty-gritty details, to avoid certain risks and significant losses. Find out more about CFD share trading here!