CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Educational Articles

Knowledge Base

Reading time • 3 minute(s)
Heatwave Market Dynamics
This summer has been one to remember for Europe, and not for the right reasons. Temperatures have broken records in the past two months, and another heatwave is on the way for the UK and continental Europe. Devastating forest fires have swept across France and Spain, who have seen the worst of the impact from raging wildfires. However, there are also wildfires in Scotland, Italy and Canada.
Read more 
Reading time • 6 minute(s)
CFD Trading Strategies: Scalping, Swing and Day Trading Explained
What Are the Main CFD Trading Strategies? The three most widely used CFD trading strategies are scalping, day trading, and swing trading. Each differs in the timeframe over which trades are held, the frequency of trades placed, and the level of time commitment required. Choosing the right strategy depends on your available time, risk tolerance, and experience level, there is no single approach that suits every trader.
Read more 
Reading time • 13 minute(s)
The World's Largest Oil Producers: Countries and Companies Shaping Global Supply
The United States is the world's largest oil producer, pumping more crude than any other nation on Earth. With global energy markets shaped by a handful of dominant players, understanding who produces the most oil - and which companies sit behind that output - is essential context for any investor watching commodity markets. Below, we break down the top oil-producing countries and the biggest oil companies driving global supply.
Read more 
Reading time • 6 minute(s)
How CFD Margin Works and How to Avoid a Margin Call
What Is Margin in CFD Trading? Margin is the deposit required to open and maintain a leveraged CFD position. Rather than paying the full value of a trade upfront, you only need to put down a fraction called the margin requirement and your broker provides the rest. Margin is not a fee or a cost; it is a portion of your own funds set aside as collateral for the trade.
Read more 
Reading time • 5 minute(s)
ETF vs Shares: What's the Difference?
ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and shares are both investment instruments you can buy and sell on a stock exchange, but they work very differently. When you buy a share, you purchase ownership in a single company. When you buy an ETF, you purchase a single fund that holds a basket of assets — which could be dozens, hundreds, or thousands of individual stocks, bonds, or commodities. The key difference is diversification: a single ETF can give you exposure to an entire market or sector in one transaction.
Read more 
Reading time • 3 minute(s)
How to Buy Anthropic Shares — A Guide for UK Investors
Anthropic, the AI safety company behind Claude, filed confidential IPO paperwork with the SEC on 1 June 2026. UK investors cannot buy Anthropic shares on the open market yet, but here is everything you need to know about how and when you will be able to, and what to watch before the listing.
Read more 
Reading time • 4 minute(s)
How Does Sports Betting Compare to CFD Trading?
With sports betting more accessible than ever and financial trading platforms bringing the markets to your smartphone, the two activities are increasingly discussed in the same breath. Both involve staking money on an uncertain outcome. Both offer the potential for substantial returns and equally substantial losses. But underneath the surface similarities lie some fundamental structural differences that any informed participant should understand.
Read more 
Reading time • 5 minute(s)
CFD Costs and Fees Explained
What Are the Costs of CFD Trading? CFD trading costs fall into two categories: trading costs that apply when you open and close a position, and holding costs that accrue if you keep a position open overnight. The main costs are the spread, overnight financing charges (swap rates), and in some cases commission. Understanding these costs upfront is essential — they directly affect your profitability and should be factored into every trading decision.
Read more 
Reading time • 3 minute(s)
Anthropic IPO — What UK Investors Should Expect
Anthropic, the San Francisco AI company behind Claude, filed confidential IPO paperwork with the SEC on 1 June 2026, setting the stage for one of the most highly anticipated stock market debuts in years. Here is what UK investors need to know about the expected date, valuation, financial performance, and key risks.
Read more 
Reading time • 5 minute(s)
Iran-US Ceasefire Under Strain: Why Oil Prices Are Rising Again as Tensions Flare
Oil prices are climbing again after President Trump said the US-Iran ceasefire is "over," following retaliatory US strikes on Tuesday night after attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude has jumped more than 6% this morning and is trading back above $78 a barrel, reversing much of the recent slide toward pre-war levels. While the initial announcement triggered one of the sharpest single-day moves in recent years — sending oil sharply lower and global equities higher — sentiment has since become more cautious. Oil has rebounded above $100 as supply disruptions persist and negotiations stall, highlighting how fragile the initial market reaction has been. Here’s what happened, how markets responded, and what traders are watching next. While the initial announcement triggered one of the sharpest single-day moves in recent years — sending oil sharply lower and global equities higher — markets have since stabilised, with investors now focused on whether the ceasefire will hold and what comes next. Here's what happened, how markets responded, and what traders are watching as the situation develops. Update (29 April 2026): Market sentiment has shifted in recent sessions, with oil rebounding and equities showing more mixed performance as uncertainty around negotiations persists.
Read more 
Reading time • 5 minute(s)
Top 5 stocks to watch in July 2026
As we start the second half of the year, the focus is switching to Q2 earnings season. Last quarter saw stunning results for the chip makers, the Dow Jones closed the quarter at a record high, and the Nasdaq had its fourth best quarterly performance ever. This was in contrast to the FTSE 100, which was a global laggard. As we move into July, the focus is on whether the rally can continue and if there anything that can trip up the AI trade. Below, we look at 5 names that we think are worth watching in the coming weeks in both the US and the UK.
Read more 
Reading time • 4 minute(s)
Which World Cup Nation Has the Strongest Economy?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup brings together 48 nations spanning six continents and between them, they represent some of the world's most powerful, fastest-growing, and most intriguing economies. Beyond football, the tournament offers a useful lens through which to examine global economic diversity: host nations investing billions in infrastructure, emerging markets showcasing their potential, and established superpowers asserting their commercial dominance. So which World Cup nation has the strongest economy? The answer depends on how you measure it, but here is a breakdown of the key contenders.Starting a quarterly audit
Read more 
Reading time • 2 minute(s)
How to Buy OpenAI Shares - A Guide for UK Investors
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is valued at more than $850 billion by private investors and is working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to prepare for a public listing. UK investors cannot buy OpenAI shares on the open market yet — but here is everything you need to know about how and when you will be able to, and how to get indirect exposure in the meantime.
Read more 
Reading time • 7 minute(s)
Should You Invest in Silver? What UK Investors Need to Know
Silver is often seen as gold’s quieter cousin, but from an investor’s perspective it plays a very different role. This article explains what silver represents as an investment asset, why it attracts investor attention, and what drives its price over time. You’ll learn how silver is commonly viewed in portfolios, what risks are involved, and what beginners should understand before deciding whether silver is right for them.
Read more 
Reading time • 3 minute(s)
OpenAI IPO - What UK Investors Should Expect
OpenAI confidentially filed its S-1 IPO prospectus with the SEC on 22 May 2026, setting the stage for what could be the largest technology IPO in US history. Here is what UK investors need to know about the OpenAI IPO, the expected date, valuation, risks, and what happens next.
Read more 
Reading time • 4 minute(s)
CFDs vs Spread Betting UK: What's the Difference?
What Is the Difference Between CFDs and Spread Betting? CFDs (Contracts for Difference) and spread betting are both leveraged financial derivatives that allow you to speculate on the price movement of an underlying asset without owning it. The key differences lie in how profits are taxed, how trades are sized, and how costs are applied. In the UK, spread betting profits are exempt from Capital Gains Tax, while CFD profits are subject to CGT but losses can be offset against your tax bill. Both products are available to UK retail traders and are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Read more 
Reading time • 4 minute(s)
Top German Stocks to Watch During Football Tournaments
Every four years, the FIFA World Cup turns the global economy into a secondary spectator sport. Billions of euros flow through kit sales, broadcast rights, hospitality, and consumer spending and while the football plays out on the pitch, traders and investors track the ripple effects across financial markets. Germany, home to some of the world's most prominent sportswear brands and a major force in global manufacturing and technology, sits at the intersection of football culture and financial markets in a particularly interesting way. Here are the key German stocks that attract attention when tournament season arrives and why.
Read more 
Reading time • 6 minute(s)
Could Bond Markets Decide Britain's Next Prime Minister?
For most people, choosing Britain's next prime minister seems like a purely political process driven by party members, MPs, and ultimately voters. Yet another force has become impossible for politicians to ignore: the bond market. The UK political landscape has been fractured by a monumental shift. Following intense pressure and a collapsing polling base, Sir Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as Prime Minister. With newly elected MP and former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham currently leading the race to succeed him unopposed, multi-asset traders are experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu.
Read more 
Reading time • 4 minute(s)
Keir Starmer Resigns: What It Means for GBP, Gilts and UK Markets
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on the morning of 22 June 2026, making him the UK’s sixth prime minister to leave office in under a decade. For traders and investors, the key question is not just who comes next, but what the transition means for sterling, UK government bonds, and equity markets. Published on 22/06/2026
Read more 
Reading time • 9 minute(s)
What Affects Gold Prices? 6 Key Factors Explained
Gold prices are shaped by six main forces: economic uncertainty, inflation, real interest rates, central bank demand, physical consumption, and investment flows. No single factor explains every move, because gold usually reacts to several market forces at once. This means there is rarely one simple answer to what affects gold prices, because the same price move can reflect both defensive demand and changing expectations about currencies, rates, or global risk. Understanding these six forces helps explain what drives the price of gold without treating gold as a guaranteed hedge or an investment recommendation.
Read more 
Show more articles