A CFD, or Contract for Difference, lets you trade S&P Global without owning the underlying asset. Instead, you and the broker exchange the difference in S&P Global’s price between when you open and close the trade. This means you can profit from both rising and falling markets — going long if you expect S&P Global to appreciate, or short if you expect it to fall — which makes CFDs a flexible way to access the Shares market.
The defining feature of S&P Global CFD trading is leverage. By posting a margin deposit that is a fraction of the full position value, you gain exposure to the entire S&P Global position. Leverage magnifies gains, but it magnifies losses to the same degree, and you can lose more than your initial outlay if a position moves sharply against you. This is why CFDs are best used with disciplined stops and conservative sizing.
Traders use S&P Global CFDs for speculation and for hedging existing exposure. Because there is no physical delivery, you can move in and out of S&P Global quickly and trade markets that might otherwise be hard to access. CFDs are complex leveraged products, so make sure you fully understand how margin, financing and liquidation work on S&P Global before trading live.