Popular Markets
Discover a range of financial markets available to you. We’ll explain what each of these markets are, highlight the important factors behind price moves up and down, and how you can go about investing or trading these markets.
Each of our featured markets fits in to one of these categories. The links below will take you to each category.
Megatrends are large-scale, long-term trends that significantly shape the future of society, economy, and technology. These trends include digital transformation, globalization, climate change, aging populations, urbanization, and the push for sustainability. Digital transformation drives innovation and disrupts industries, while globalization increases economic and cultural interconnectedness. Climate change and sustainability efforts reshape industries and policies, while aging populations challenge healthcare and social systems. Urbanization shifts demographics and infrastructure needs.
Investing in Artificial Intelligence
Find out how you can add exposure to the Artificial Intelligence megatrend to you portfolio through Stocks and ETFs
Investing in Genomics
Investing in Genomics: Find out how you can add exposure to this megatrend to your portfolio through Stocks and ETFs
Indices represent the average performance of a group of shares, usually the largest shares in a market ranked by capitalisation (total value). Each index tends to track the overall performance of the bulk of the total value of that market. Here are our guides to some of the World’s most popular indices.
FTSE 100 Index
Find out more about the UK's blue chip index, what moves its price and how you can trade it with this beginner's guide
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 index tracks the largest 250 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, after those in the FTSE 100
The S&P 500 Index
Our S&P 500 Index beginner's guide will help you to understand how you can trade or benchmark the popular US equities market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, commonly just called the ‘Dow’, was historically the benchmark for US stock performance
NASDAQ 100 Index
The NASDAQ 100 Index represents the 100 largest non-financial NASDAQ-listed stocks by market capitalisation
Euro Stoxx 50 Index
The Euro Stoxx 50 index benchmarks the performance of the 50 largest companies listed on Eurozone stock exchanges
The DAX Index
The DAX index is the main indicator for the performance of the price of major Germany listed companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Nikkei 225 Index
The Nikkei 225 Index is the benchmark index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is one of the key measures of stock market activity in Asia
ASX 200 Index
Learn about trading the ASX 200 Index, how it tracks the performance of leading companies and how you can invest or trade the index
VIX Index
The VIX Index, often referred to as the Fear Index, it is a gauge of implied volatility of S&P 500 index options
CAC 40 Index
The CAC 40 Index is the benchmark stock market index for France. Find out what moves the index and how you can trade it
Commodities are the raw materials from which products are made. Examples include precious and industrial metals such as gold and copper, agricultural products such as wheat, fuel products such as crude oil and soft commodities such as coffee. Here are our guides to some of the World’s most popular commodities.
Investing in Gold
Gold is generally seen as a preferred choice for investors in uncertain times as a tool for diversifying risk
Investing in Silver
The silver price tends to follow the price of gold but a thinner market means the link can sometimes be broken
Investing in Copper
Mined copper metal is used for a wide variety of purposes, notably in electrical devices and construction
Investing in Platinum
Platinum is the most expensive commodity of all and is used for jewellery and in many industrial applications such as catalytic converters
Investing in Crude Oil
Crude Oil is the world’s most heavily traded commodity. Find out how its price moves, the different types of oil and how to trade it
Investing in Natural Gas
Colourless, odourless and consisting mostly of methane, Natural Gas is a favourite energy market for online traders
Investing in Wheat
Wheat provides grain, one of the world's staple foods, and is the world's most traded crop
Investing in Sugar
About two thirds of the world's sugar production is grown from sugar cane, a plant which loves the warm weather…
Investing in Coffee
Investing in Coffee: The coffee bean is bought and sold by roasters, investors and speculators on commodities exchanges across the globe
Investing in Cocoa
Who are the largest importers and exporters, how is cocoa made, what affects its price and how can you invest?
Investing in Salt
Salt has been traded, taxed and used as currency since ancient times. Though health-conscious consumers may be reducing their salt…
Investing in Rare Earth Metals
The family of rare earth metals includes some of the most valuable and essential elements for modern technology
The most traded currencies in the world account for US$1.5 trillion changing hands every day. While nearly everybody has had occasion to change money when they travel abroad, forex traders can be dealing in international currency markets every day. Traditionally a marketplace for big banks and fund managers, now it is becoming increasingly accessible for private investors.
Here are our guides to some of the World’s most popular currencies.
Trading the British Pound
The British Pound or GBP, also widely known as Sterling, is the fourth most traded currency in FX markets, after…
Trading the US Dollar
The US dollar or ‘greenback’ remains the de facto reserve currency of the world, despite the trials and tribulations of…
Trading the Euro
After the US dollar, the euro currency (EUR) is the most widely traded foreign currency, and the EUR/USD currency pair…
Trading the Japanese Yen
The Japanese Yen is the most widely traded Asian currency, even though the Chinese economy is now technically larger than…
Trading the Canadian Dollar
The Canadian Dollar (CAD) is also known by veteran traders as the Loonie because of the aquatic bird on the…
Trading the New Zealand Dollar
The New Zealand Dollar is often referred to by currency traders as the Kiwi. Trading the New Zealand Dollar (NZD)…
Trading the Hong Kong Dollar
The Hong Kong Dollar has survived the territory’s return to China in 1997 and remains one of the top 10…
Trading the Swiss Franc
The Swiss Franc (SFR) has long been considered a currency for institutional investors to buy when they need to get…
Trading the Australian Dollar
Australia is a major producer of raw materials, particularly base metals, and as such its currency has been boosted by…
Trading Bitcoin
Trading Bitcoin: Find out more about Bitcoin, what moves the price and how you can trade it with our beginner's guide
When governments want to borrow money from the capital markets, they issue bonds, also called government debt. These are IOUs from the government to the market: the government promises to pay investors their full principal in addition to a rate of interest on the bond that is determined when it is auctioned, e.g. 5.5%. Here are our guides to some of the most popular government bonds.
UK 10 Year Gilts
UK government bonds are often referred to as ‘gilts’, reflecting the historical levels of confidence in the UK economy
US 10 Year Treasury Notes
The US 10-Year Treasury Note is a government bond issued by the US government with a maturity of 10 years
The Euro Bobl
The Euro Bobl is a medium term bond issued by the Federal Republic of Germany with a maturity date of between 4.5 and 5.5 years
Japanese Government Bonds
Japanese Government Bonds or JGBs are the most popular market for government debt traders in Asia
