Trading guides

7 trading strategies for every trader

Discover some of the most popular and effective trading strategies for the financial markets.

Leveraged trading

Leverage is the use of a smaller amount of capital to gain exposure to larger trading positions.

Day trading guide

Learn to day trade with our beginner's guide. We cover key aspects such as day trading strategies and the psychology of day trading.

Swing trading

Swing trading is a short to medium-term trading strategy that aims to make a profit out of changes in price.

Momentum trading

Find out what momentum based trading is, along with various momentum trading strategies and indicators to use.

Short-term trading

Short-term trading is a strategy that only aims to keep positions open for a matter of hours, days or weeks.

Trend trading

Read about trend trading, discover popular trend-following strategies, and view examples from our trading platform.

Trading the news

News trading strategies can be based on economic indicators such as company earnings reports, interest rates and inflation.

Position trading

Position trading is a popular long-term trading strategy where a trader holds a position and ignores price fluctuations.

Value investing

Value investing is an investment strategy that focuses on buying and holding undervalued stocks in the long-term.

Trading vs investing

Learn the key differences between trading and investing, whether that be active or passive.

Thematic investing

Thematic investing involves gaining access to multiple shares through a stock basket. Explore our thematic share baskets.

Derivative trading

Gain a deep understanding about derivative trading and learn how to trade derivatives, such as spread bets and CFDs.

Trading on margin

Margin trading can be a good way of diversifying a portfolio and leveraging exposure to the financial markets.

Hedging strategies

Learn about the basics of financial hedging and some effective hedging strategies that you can use when trading.

Scalping

Find out what scalping is in trading and how to use scalping strategies within a range of financial markets.

Algorithmic trading

Algorithmic trading is the process of using a computer that follows instructions based upon mathematical formulae.

High-frequency trading

High-frequency trading is a type of algorithmic strategy that aims to execute multiple orders in one transaction.

Arbitrage trading

Arbitrage is the act of exploiting price differences within the financial markets to make a profit.

Quant trading

Discover what quantitative trading is and how to get started in our quant trading guide, complete with strategies and examples.

Social trading

Social trading involves the free sharing and using of information among a group of traders, known as a social trading community.

Copy trading

Copy trading allows traders to copy trades executed by other investors in the financial markets.

Backtesting is a time and cost-effective way of measuring profitability in trades. Discover how to backtest a trading strategy manually.

Paper trading

Paper trading allows you to practise your strategies in the financial markets using virtual funds on a demo trading account.

Price action trading

Learn about price action trading with our advanced guide to the best chart patterns, indicators and strategies.

Trading on volatility

Volatility trading in the financial markets can create potential for profit, but it can also end in loss.

Gap trading

Find out what gap trading is and how it applies to the financial markets, particularly shares.

Buy the rumour, sell the news

Sometimes, the market's reaction to news will not be as you expected because that “news” has already priced in.

Futures trading

Futures trading is a contractual obligation to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price and date in the future.

Forward contracts

Learn about how to trade forward contracts, which are an agreement between a buyer and seller to exchange an asset at some point in the future.

Contango and backwardation

The terms “contango” and “backwardation” apply to the futures market and indicate whether the delivery price of an asset is higher or lower than its current spot price.

Block trades

A block trade is an agreement to buy and sell a large number of securities between two parties.

Pairs trading

Pairs trading works by balancing long-term and short-term positions with a high correlation. Learn how you could master your pairs trading strategy here.

Buy the dip

Learn what buying the dip is, indicators that can be used for the strategy, if it works and what the alternatives are.

Buying on margin

We explain what buying on margin means and how it can be carried out on our platform to magnify your profit or loss.

What is direct market access?

DMA trading enables you to place buy and sell trades directly on the order books of an exchange or a liquidity provider.

What does OTC mean?

OTC stands for over-the-counter. In trading terms, over-the-counter means trading through decentralised dealer networks.

Exchange delivery settlement price (EDSP)

EDSP stands for exchange delivery settlement price and refers to the settlement price of derivative contracts on an exchange.

What is a broker?

Learn about the meaning of a broker, how to gain exposure to assets and how you can get started with the UK's favourite broker.

Maintenance margin

Learn the basics of maintenance margins, including how they work, why they exist and how they are calculated.

What is a margin account?

A margin account allows traders to speculate on the price movements of underlying assets with borrowed funds.

What is a margin call?

When the value of your account drops below margin requirement, this results in a margin call, putting your positions at risk of being closed.

10 largest economies in the world

Discover what the richest countries in the world are, based on GDP and PPP value.

What are emerging markets?

Read about the definition of an emerging market and how you can trade in emerging economies.

What is a spread?

Discover what is spread in trading and see an overview of our instrument spreads.

Bid price and ask price

Find out the difference between the bid and ask price, also called the bid-ask spread, and how it affects liquidity, spreads and markets.

What is a bear market?

The definition of a bear market is one that has fallen in value by more than 20% for over a two-month period.

What is a bull market?

Learn how to identify a bull market and the types of trading strategies that can be used to profit.

Market manipulation

Market manipulation is the attempt to control the price of a financial instrument through supply and demand.

What is financial exposure?

Exposure refers to the amount of money that a trader has invested in a particular asset and what they could potentially lose.

Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)

Discover what happens at the Federal Open Market Committee and how traders can take advantage of fluctuating market conditions.

What is monetary policy?

Discover the difference between tight and loose monetary policy and how this can affect the financial markets.

What is quantitative easing?

Learn how quantitative easing affects the markets and how you as a trader can potentially take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

Regulatory news service (RNS)

The regulatory news service (RNS) is part of the London Stock Exchange and the leading provider of regulatory and non-regulatory information in the UK.

What is a gamma squeeze?

Find out what a gamma squeeze is and how it affects stock prices such as AMC, GME and HOOD.

What is slippage?

Find out what slippage is in trading, what it means for your open positions and how to avoid it.

What is a short squeeze?

Discover what a short squeeze is in trading and how to find short squeeze stocks.

How to short a stock

Successful short selling involves borrowing stocks, selling the borrowed stock and buying them back at a lower price.

How to build a trading plan

Trading plans are essential for a trader. Discover how to create a trading plan, learn about goal setting, and view example templates.

Trading tips

Discover our top trading tips and rules, and learn how to avoid common trading mistakes.

Develop a trading edge

Read our guide to find out what a trading edge is, examples and steps for developing and honing your own trading edge.

How to trade from home

Trading for a living is a simple process with the right technology and trading platform. Learn how to trade the markets from home.

Asset allocation

Learn how asset allocation can improve your trading strategy and diversify your risk, along with asset allocation strategies.

Rebalancing

Rebalancing your portfolio can be crucial to reflecting your changing risk appetite in your portfolio or reacting to new opportunities.

Portfolio diversification

Diversification is a strategy in trading that aims to reduce risk through a variety of financial assets.

Mean reversion

Mean reversion theorizes that asset prices return to average levels after a large price move.

Money and risk-management guide

Discover how trading with risk-management is essential, both the risk on an individual trade and the financial risk to your account.

Risk/reward ratio

It is important to analyse risk/reward ratios when trading in volatile markets. Learn how to calculate risk and reward.

How to become a trader

We explain some key steps to becoming a trader with the potential opportunities and pitfalls you might encounter along the way.

What is fundamental analysis?

Fundamental analysis aims to determine a security's real or intrinsic value. Find out how to conduct fundamental analysis.

Economic indicators

Find out how to interpret economic indicators such as GDP and PPP in order to improve your event-driven trading strategy.

Non-farm payrolls (NFP)

Non-farm payrolls report monthly US employment figures and are a significant indicator of the health of the US economy.

Global macro trading

Find out what a global macro trading strategy is and how you can potentially profit from global market movements.

Company analysis

Company fundamentals such as earnings reports, P/E ratios and dividend ratios indicate whether its share price may rise or fall.

Price-earnings (P/E) ratio

P/E ratios help to indicate whether a company's stock is a good investment. Learn how to calculate P/E ratios.

Stock beta

Stock beta is how much a stock moves relative to an index, which lets investors know how volatile it is.

Intrinsic value

Learn what the intrinsic value of a stock is and the different methods for calculating value.

Gearing ratio

Gearing ratios provide an insight into how a company funds its operations, relative to debt and equity.

Treynor ratio

The Treynor ratio measures how an investment portfolio performed relative to the risk taken, so learn how to calculate it.

Sharpe ratio

The Sharpe ratio is a fundamental measure of the risk-adjusted return of a financial portfolio.

How to pick stocks

In this detailed guide, we explain 13 different strategies and approaches for picking stocks that you can employ..

Advanced technical analysis

Technical trading strategies can be used as part of your trading decisions. We explore 5 key techniques through diagrams and examples.

Technical indicators

Learn about top technical indicators that are available on our platform, including SMA & EMA, Bollinger Bands, RSI and stochastics.

Leading and lagging indicators

Leading and lagging indicators are types of technical analysis that can indicate where price action is headed, or where it has been.

11 essential stock chart patterns

Identifying stock chart patterns in financial markets is a key element as part of your technical analysis. Find 11 patterns here.

Recognising trading patterns

Trading patterns such as triangles, wedges and more complex patterns can help you identify potential trading opportunities.

Candlestick patterns

See how you use candlestick charts to track prices in all financial markets. Find out why candlestick patterns are a prevalent method of price representation.

Double tops and bottoms

Double tops and bottoms are chart patterns in technical analysis that can help a trader identify potential trades.

Harmonic patterns

Harmonic patterns are formations on price charts that help traders to predict price action within the financial markets.

Cup and handle patterns

Cup and handle patterns are formed when there is a sharp price rise, followed by a fall. Learn more about cup and handle patterns.

Wedge patterns

Wedges are a common type of chart pattern that help traders to identify potential trends and reversals on a trading chart.

Golden and death crosses

Learn how to trade two of the most popular technical analysis moving average combinations, golden and death crosses.

Head and shoulders pattern

The head and shoulders pattern is a technical formation that indicates a trend reversal is underway.

Doji candles

Consult our guide on how to trade doji candlesticks, including the most common types: dragonfly, gravestone, hammer, long-legged and star.

Renko charts

Renko charts are a type of price chart used by traders to focus on a larger trend. Learn how to use Renko charts.

Dow theory

The Dow theory is a financial markets theory that rests on six basic tenets that were a precursor to modern-day technical analysis.

Elliot wave theory

Elliott wave theory breaks down price fluctuations of financial markets into cycles, each comprising of eight waves.

Bull traps

Find out what a bull trap is in trading, how to identify one, how to trade it and the role that psychology plays.

Dead cat bounce

In this article, we explain what a dead cat bounce is, where the name comes from, what it looks like and how long it may last for.

Forex vs stocks

Forex and stocks make up two of the most popular markets to trade worldwide. Learn the difference between forex and stocks.

Bonds vs stocks

Learn about the relationship between stocks and bonds here, including differences and similarities.

CFDs vs ETFs

Learn the key differences between ETFs and CFDs here and how to trade both products within the financial markets.

Futures vs options

Find out what the main differences are between futures and options, and what are the benefits and risks of each derivative product.

Safe haven investments

Learn the meaning of a ‘safe haven’ investment, which can include gold, currencies, bonds and defensive stocks.

How to trade indices

Find out what are the major stock indices around the world and how you can trade them. Learn about index trading strategies.

VIX volatility index

Discover what the VIX volatility index is, how it works and how you can trade it in our guide to the popular measure of volatility.

How to trade commodities

Discover how to trade commodities on our online platform, which offers 100+ instruments such as oil, gas, gold and sugar.

Complete guide to trading gold

Discover some of the best tips and techniques for gold trading, including physical gold bullion and coins.

Is gold a good investment?

Why invest in gold? Discover several viewpoints as to whether gold is a good investment right now.

Gold/silver ratio

The gold/silver ratio is the amount of silver you need to buy one ounce of gold, which traders use to determine the best time to buy or sell.

How to trade oil

Read our complete guide to oil trading, including how to become an oil trader and the best tips for spread betting crude oil.

Oil CFDs

Discover how to trade oil CFDs on popular raw materials, including Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil CFDs.

Energy trading

There a number of ways you can trade energy in the UK, through energy stocks, energy ETFs and energy commodities.

How to trade coffee

Coffee is a popularly traded soft commodity. Discover how to trade coffee Arabica and Robusta online via derivatives and futures.

Investing in palladium

Find out how to get involved with palladium investments and trade on palladium's price through the physical commodity.

What are bonds & how do you trade them?

Learn about the different types of bonds you can trade on, including corporate and municipal bonds, whether they are a good investment, and if they can offer stable returns.

High-yield bonds

Junk bonds pay higher interest rates to investors than other bonds due to their lower credit ratings.

High-dividend ETFs

Learn which exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have the highest dividend yields, including those from Vanguard, iShares and Global X.

Trade on ARK Invest ETFs

Discover how to invest in bonds in the UK with our list of the most popular bonds to watch.

China tech

Discover some of the most promising Chinese tech companies right now, along with how to invest in Chinese stocks through share basket trading.

FAANG stocks

The FAANG acronym stands for the five biggest tech companies: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Find out how to invest in FAANG stocks here.

Investing in esports

Discover how it is possible to invest in esports by trading CFDs and spread betting on some of the top esports stocks on our Next Generation platform.

What is equity trading?

Equity trading is the buying and selling of company shares or stocks on the financial market. Find out how to trade equities.

Stock split

Stock splits are corporate actions that cause the number of a company's shares to rise and its price to fall, resulting in fractional shares. Learn how to trade a stock split.

How to trade stocks in the UK

Share trading is the buying and selling of company stock with the aim of making a profit. Find out more about stock trading strategies.

Special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC)

A special-purpose acquisition company is a shell corporation that aims to raise capital through an IPO to acquire a private company.

Stock market corrections

Gain a deep understanding about stock market corrections. Read about what can cause a stock market correction and how traders may try to benefit.

Stock market bubbles

Learn about the main characteristics and stages of a stock market bubble, which can lead to a market crash.

What is a stock market crash?

Join us as we discuss some of the biggest stock market crashes in history. Discover tips on how to take advantage.

Trading penny stocks in the UK

Penny stocks often have a low share price, which gives a higher scope for breakouts and growth.

How to swing-trade stocks

Learn the basics of swing trading in the share market and gain valuable insights into five of the most popular techniques.

5G stocks & ETFs

5G technology is coming soon... Discover the best 5G stocks and companies to watch in preparation for the 5G revolution.

Pharmaceutical stocks

Read our recommendations for the best pharmaceutical stocks, including blue-chip and pharma penny stocks.

Renewable energy stocks

Discover top tips for investing in the future with our article on renewable energy stocks, including five interesting companies.

Blue-chip stocks

Discover exactly what is a blue-chip company and how to invest in blue-chip stocks.

Is Zoom stock a good buy?

Discover the stock price and market outlook for Zoom Video Communications (ZM). Click here to see how it could play a role in your portfolio.

Trading streaming stocks

The popularity of streaming services is constantly on the rise, and in turn, so is their share price.

Electric car stocks

Discover stocks related to the electric car market. The electric car market is anticipated to be the future of the motoring industry.

Healthcare stocks

Discover a list of popular healthcare stocks to watch right now, involving pharma, medical equipment and biotech.

Breakout stocks

Learn how to identify breakout stocks in the share market, using chart analysis and examples of prominent stocks.

Best FTSE dividend stocks

Discover the 10 best-yielding dividend stocks in the UK, according to the FTSE 100.

REIT stocks

Our complete guide to real estate investment highlights the best real estate stocks, ETFs and public REITs to trade right now.

Ethical and sustainable shares

Consult our list of some of the best ethical stocks and sustainable shares to add to a balanced investment portfolio.

Large-cap stocks

Read our guide to the largest market cap stocks in the world, with guidance for investing in large-cap stocks.

German stock market

Read about how Germany has influenced the global markets over the years and learn how to trade on German stocks.

Airline stocks

Is there hope of revival for the airline industry? Discover some of the top airline stocks to watch right now.

Lithium stocks to watch

Learn how to trade lithium through some of the top battery and mining stocks and ETFs right now.

Tencent stock

Considering investing in Tencent? Read our analysis of Tencent stock to see its current performance and outlook for the future.

Cosmetic stocks

Beauty and cosmetic stocks can be an effective way to diversify your portfolio. Find some top stocks within the industry.

Cybersecurity stocks

Learn about investing in cybersecurity. Discover some major cybersecurity stocks and ETFs to gain exposure.

Most volatile stocks in the UK

Join our countdown of the most volatile UK stocks over the past 260 days and learn how to speculate on volatile stocks.

Investing in veganism

Veganism and plant-based diets are steadily growing trends. Learn how to trade the vegan boom through vegan company stocks.

Music stocks

The music and entertainment industries are arguably some of the most profitable sectors in the world.

The 20 biggest UK companies

Discover the 20 largest UK companies by market capitalisation. Learn how to trade on the UK's biggest companies.

Uranium stocks

Uranium is a radioactive element that is used in nuclear power generation. Learn about trading on uranium stocks.

Football stocks

Learn how you can trade on some of the top stocks in the football industry, including clubs, sponsors, and broadcasters.

Crypto stocks and ETFs to watch

Learn how to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies through the stock market. Discover some of the top crypto stocks.

Oil stocks

Discover some of the top stocks to watch within the oil and gas industry, including BP, Chevron, Petrofac and ExxonMobil.

Biotech investments

Discover how to find the best-performing biotech stocks when investing. In this article, we cover a list of biotech stocks to watch.

Gold stocks and ETFs

Discover some of the top gold stocks right now, including Newmont, Barrick Gold and Franco-Nevada.

Meme stocks

Meme stocks represent companies that have gained viral attention from social media platforms such as Reddit.

Future SPACs

The stock market saw a sudden rise in SPAC listings over 2020. Discover future SPACs and SPAC mergers.

Growth stocks

Growth stocks are shares of companies that are expected to grow sales and earnings at a faster rate than the market or industry average.

UK tech stocks

Discover which UK tech companies are booming in the industry right now. Learn how to trade on UK tech stocks.

Financial stocks

Read our list of the top financial stocks, from investment and retail banks to payment processors and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Cyclical stocks

Learn how to identify cyclical stocks on our award-winning platform and choose from a wide range of sectors to explore.

Day trading stocks

Find out what makes a stock a potential candidate for intraday speculation. See a list of day trading stocks that investors may be interested in right now.

Space stocks

Discover some of the top space stocks and ETFs right now that are involved in space exploration, mining and technology.

Silver stocks

Discover our list of silver exploration and mining stocks to watch, including Newmont, First Majestic and Polymetal.

Defensive stocks

Learn about defensive stocks, which often outperform the stock market in times of economic turmoil.

Hydrogen stocks

See a list of growing hydrogen stocks to watch as the world moves to cleaner energy production.

Artificial intelligence stocks

Learn how to get involved with a new and growing technology trend, artificial intelligence (AI).

Defence stocks

See some of the top defence stocks you could be watching in order to take advantage of large government spending.

Trillion-dollar companies

Discover which companies have hit a $1tn market capitalisation, known as the “trillion-dollar club”.

How to trade stocks

Discover how to trade stocks in our UK stock trading guide. Our article for beginners can help you use the markets to your advantage.

What is an IPO?

Initial public offerings are a way for traders to invest in the shares of previously private companies.

Upcoming IPOs to watch

Browse our list of upcoming IPOs and popular new stocks that will be available to trade.

BrewDog IPO

Stripe IPO

Monzo IPO

Starlink IPO

Discord IPO

Reddit IPO

Polestar IPO

Databricks IPO

Revolut IPO

Porsche IPO

Klarna IPO