Articles of Interest

It’s not hard to find blogs and forums where people talk about the benefits of CFDs over shares but have you questioned whether the people actually writing these comparisons are traders who have experience in both financial instruments or are they just paid authors out to promote CFDs. In this quick review we will touch on the differences between both CFDs and shares and highlight the unique aspects of each product that has allowed traders and investors to harness the power of their investment portfolio from the comfort of their own lounge room.

CFDs and shares are very different not only in the way they work but also in how they are traded. One of the fundamental differences is the fact that CFDs are an over the counter or OTC product meaning your transactions are not conducted on an exchange but rather with the CFD provider that you are dealing with. Shares on the other hand are traded on an exchange meaning that you are buying and selling off other people in the market with your stock broker simply acting as a conduit providing you with a gateway to the market.

So now that you know one of the most important fundamental differences between CFDs and shares let’s get into some of the key mechanical differences in detail.

Settlement
One of the most apparent differences between both products is the way in which they are settled. When you buy shares on the stock exchange you don’t have to pay for the share for three days, conversely when you sell shares you do not receive any money for three days. The transaction day plus 3 days or T+3 is the settlement period set by the clearing house not the broker. Of course when trading CFDs there is no clearing house involved as the transaction is OTC this means the your CFD provider essentially sets the rules, as CFD providers typically do not want to wear the risk of having the settlement of a transaction fail they will ask for the money upfront, this concept of same day settlement is known as T+1. It’s worth noting that some online share brokers also apply T+1 settlement to minimise the risk of settlement failure.

There really is no real advantage of T+1 or T+3 settlement as ultimately the net effect is the same, however most active traders prefer same day settlement for the simple reason that it makes their cash flow easier to manage.

Leverage
Unquestionably the most important and apparent difference between CFDs and Shares is the concept of leverage. By the very nature of the instrument CFDs are leveraged meaning that for a relatively small outlay you can obtain a relatively large exposure to a share. Typically the margin rate on most CFDs is around 10% this means that with a margin of $1,000 you could potentially gain $10,000 exposure to the price movement of a share. If you were to buy $10,000 worth of shares you would have to outlay the full amount, rather than the $1,000 required to open your CFD position, providing a more efficient use of capital and return on your initial investment.

It is important to be aware that although leverage can work in your favour, it can also work against you, this means that your profits and your losses are amplified however you can also potentially loose more than your account balance. With share trading on the other hand you cannot lose more than the amount paid, however you profit potential is also reduced.

Short Selling
Equally CFDs and shares can be short sold although the process is often easier with CFDs for the simple reason that short sell transactions can be done online rather than over the telephone. The main reason why short selling shares directly is not a simple process is due to short sale reporting requirements which must be disclosed via tagging short trades executed on the exchange. Although CFD providers also have short sale disclosure requirements to meet they are not required to tag short trades for the simple reason that they often pre borrowed stock to cover any short sales, essentially this means that they have covered their clients short positions before the client even places the trade.

Costs of Trading
A common myth in the market is that CFDs are cheaper to trade than shares, however this is not always the case. Financing plays an important part in CFD trading however most traders often forget about this. Without conducting any mathematical calculations as a rule of thumb an AUD $100,000 position will cost you around $25 per night in financing, on this basis if you hold a position open for at least 5 days this is the equivalent on paying $125 in brokerage or 12.5 basis points. Of course if you don’t have the capital it may be worth paying this however if the margin of the CFD is high you should think twice as CFD financing is not calculated on the borrowed amount but rather on the full notional value of the position as such it may be more economical to pay for your position outright and pay a higher upfront brokerage cost.

CFDs can of course be a cost efficient trading tool but this is only when positions are held open for a relatively short period of time however, share positions on the other hand can be held open for as long as you like with only the initial transaction cost payable, this is an important difference to keep in mind.

Despite having to pay financing costs one of the benefits of CFDs is that you are not required to pay any GST on your commission, although a relatively small amount it is worth considering the impact of GST on your trading costs if you are an active trader.

Unrealised Profits
As CFDs are marked to market on a daily basis your profits or losses are also debited or credited from your account daily this is very different to trading shares where profits or losses are only realised at the time of sale. In this regard one of the benefits of CFDs is that you can utilise your unrealised profits without having to close your positions, naturally there is also a downside to this in that your losses are realised on a daily basis meaning that unlike share trading the free equity in your account may decline without you closing positions.  

Only five differences have been touched upon in this article, in later articles we will cover some additional differences between shares and CFDs. In the meantime if you would like to find out more interesting information about share and CFD trading you can download our free CFD guide.

CFD trading is a relatively new concept to most traders and investors in Australia, which is understandable given the mechanics of CFDs are different to traditional share trading. Having an advisor or trading mentor who is able to explain the concept of CFDs and assist you to identify trading opportunities is often a relatively safe way for new CFD traders to gain exposure to financial markets.

There are many stockbrokers and financial advisors in Australia who are able to help traders and investors looking to enter the stock market, however very few have an in-depth experience and understanding of CFDs and how they can be used not only as a hedging tool over a share portfolio but also as a great way to gain exposure to global stocks, commodities, indices and forex pairs.

Some CFD providers are able to provide you with basic CFD trading advice and education however many of them will not provide you with CFD trading recommendations. There are however some CFD providers who are able to provide you with advice and trading recommendations, it is these providers that often also specialise in other aspects of money management including financial planning, corporate advisory and funds management. Dealing with a CFD provider that does not solely specialise in CFD trading is often a good idea for novice traders looking for some assistance in managing their trading portfolio and understanding the risks and benefits CFDs.

Dealing with CFD providers who offer an extensive range of products and services aside from solely offering an online trading platform has a number of advantages in that often you will be assigned a personal account manager with whom you can liaise on a daily basis and ask questions. If you require additional services such as being contacted in the event of a trading idea you can also elect this, however you may be charged a higher commission rate when using this service. Often added benefits such as being able to participate in highly sought after placements and IPO’s will also be provided. 

In many cases getting CFD trading advice from your stock broker or CFD provider will cost more than trading for yourself online, however the added commission charges are relatively insignificant when you consider the benefits and are far cheaper than the looses that many novice traders incur when placing trades without a well thought out trading plan or strategy.

Before trading CFDs either online yourself or with a CFD provider who is able to provide you with CFD trading advice it is essential that you understand not only the benefits of CFD trading but also the risks. Often newbie CFD traders fail to understand that although the leverage associated with CFD trading can result in gains it can also result in large losses, this is why having an understanding of risk management is important.

To learn more about CFD trading it is advisable that you read this free CFD Guide.

There is a common misconception in the CFD industry that commission rates on DMA CFDs are higher than on their Market Made cousins, in this article we will dispel this myth and help you understand the differences between Direct Market Access (DMA) and Market Made CFDs and why this is a common misconception amongst traders and investors.

If you are a CFD trader you will probably already know that there are two types of CFDs, DMA and Market Made, the primary difference being that when trading with a DMA CFD provider your orders flow directly into the underlying market whereas with the Market Made variety your orders are accepted at the discretion of the CFD provider and may not always flow onto the market. Most Market Makers essentially run a book aggregating all of their client’s positions and hedging any resultant outstanding amounts.

The common misconception of pricing has come about due to the fact that DMA CFD providers incurring a cost to hedge their trades. Many people believe that because of this additional hedging cost DMA CFDs are more expensive to trade, however this is not the case. With the advent of electronic order routing DMA execution costs have decreased significantly. DMA cost reductions have been primarily due to brokers competing for market share and the rebates provided by the exchanges for high turnover market participants. With DMA Costs down to 1bps or less it is not surprising that many CFD market makers are now also offering DMA CFDs and hedging risk on their market made book more frequently.

The ultimate beneficiaries of lower hedging costs are the end clients of the CFD provider. As hedging cost decrease your DMA CFD provider is able to pass on these cost reductions to their clients, meaning that today retail traders are able to day trade and scalp DMA CFDs relatively cheaply.

With no real difference in commission between trading DMA CFDs or trading CFDs with a Market Marker it is not surprising that DMA CFDs are gaining in popularity amongst retail traders and professional investors alike. Some DMA CFD providers are even offering commission rates that are lower than those offered by their market made cousins, pioneering a path for the new wave of CFD trader. 

Of course you should always bear in mind that there are advantages and disadvantages of both CFD varieties, it is important determine which variety is more appropriate and suitable for your style of trading. 

You can find out more about trading DMA CFDs in our free CFD Guide.

In the early days investors wanting to borrow money to invest had few choices, either borrow money from the bank to buy shares or call your stockbroker and apply for a margin loan.

In 2003 traders and investors in Australia were given another choice, CFDs. Since their introduction the industry has changed, CFDs being a simple form of margin lending have become the fastest growing derivative product in the country, outstripping the grow seen in the warrants market during the mid 1990’s.

No longer does a retail investor need to apply for a bank loan or deal with expensive full service brokers. CFDs have revolutionized the financial services industry, retail investors can now open a CFD account online in minutes and be up and trading before the end of the day, executing all of their orders in real-time online.

Unlike margin lending CFDs are typically traded over the internet with the trader’s portfolio being marked to market throughout the trading day, this is substantially different to the end of day portfolio revaluations used by margin lenders. Real-time portfolio margining means that traders can properly manage risk during the trading day rather than having to wait for statements to be generated at the end of the day.

Like shares bought using a margin loan CFDs offer the holder the ability to receive a dividend, however in most cases franking credits are not passed on the holder of a CFD unlike that that of a margin loan. The reason franking credits are not passed when holding a CFD is because the owner of a CFD holds an over-the-counter derivative contract and not the physical share. Not owning the physical share when holding a CFD position also means that the owner of a CFD is not entitled to voting rights in the listed company over which the CFD is based. Many CFD traders only hold their positions for a short period of time and are not interested in voting or franking credits but instead are interested in making a profit from the short term price changes of the share over which the CFD is based.

One of the most significant advantages of CFDs is that traders are able to sell them just as easily as they can buy them, what this means is that going long is just as easy as going short, allowing traders to profit in falling markets. With traditional margin lending short selling is difficult and near impossible.

CFDs are relatively cheap when compared to margin lending, typical brokers offering margin lending will charge 0.50% whereas a typical CFD provider will charge around 0.10%. One thing to be wary of is the interest rates charged by margin lenders and CFD providers. It is important to note that margin lenders will charge interest on the amount borrowed whereas CFD providers will charge interest on the full notional value of the open position, however CFD financing rates tend to be lower. Financing rates are an important cost to consider when comparing both products but this is less important for CFD traders that only hold their positions for a short period of time. 
 
Typically CFDs offer traders more leverage than conventional margin loans allowing traders to obtain a better return on their investment. You should also be aware that an increase in leverage can also result in an increase in risk, this is common with all leveraged products. The leverage offered by CFD providers can be as much as 100 times (1% margin) whereas margin lenders will generally only offer around 10 times leverage (10% margin) or less. Leverage will vary between each CFD provider and margin lender and is often determined on a stock by stock basis considering the market capitalisation of the stock and liquidity. 

As CFDs are an over-the-counter derivative product it is important to note that you do not own the underlying share or instrument over which the CFD is based, this also means that you cannot transfer your position to another CFD provider or stock broker you can only deal with the CFD provider that you opened up the position with. When you buy shares on a margin loan the shares are held in your name this means that you are able to move them freely from one stock broker to another.

CFDs suit short to medium term active traders looking to take advantage of market movements in both directions, however, margin lending is better suited to people who are looking for long-term investment opportunities and to take advantage of the tax benefits franking credits provide, in addition to voting rights. It is important to remember that both products are leveraged, as such should ensure that you adopt a proper money management plan and not utilise the leveraged offered to its full capacity.

To discover more about CFD trading and using CFDs in your trading plan you can download our free CFD Guide.

The first thing to remember is that trading is not a level playing field. Professional traders have a lot of advantages over the private trader. Despite the accessibility and availability of CFDs to retail investors nowadays, in general, the pros still win more often than the non-pro traders. Why?

The pros have:
Better access and information flow – fund managers and institutional players spend significant amount of money to access market information. Most of these institutions are backed by large teams of researchers and analysts who constantly monitor the market. Professionals will almost certainly have a lot more information at their fingertips (or at the end of a telephone) than private traders. They will know a lot of people in the market and can formulate views by speaking to others.

Work as part of a team – institutional players usually have researchers, analysts and other market specialists that work as a team to maximise profitability. The typical private trader is just that – a single person. There is nothing wrong with that of course, but a private trader has to do everything from making the tea to executing the trades. Often working in a team can help professional traders – much of the work can be delegated.

Huge amounts of capital – This is of course the single biggest advantage that a professional has. Often the money is not their own and that can make trading easier on occasions. Due to the nature of their business, fund managers and other institutional traders have easy access to millions of dollars of external capital not available to retail traders.

While institutional traders and fund managers have inherent advantages over retail traders, there are ways to level the playing field. If you are to treat CFD trading as a business (as you should), you must ensure that:

You have enough capital – There’s a well-known saying among traders that goes: “Don’t trade with money you cannot afford to lose.” Sometimes this is called ‘scared money’. If you are to trade (CFDs or any other instrument), make sure that you have enough capital and that you are not trading with money you are not prepared to lose.

You get real time charts and other tools – Access to information is vital in trading. You have to know what is happening in the market particularly if there’s a lot of volatility that may provide profitable trading opportunities. You have to know the exact price movements to be able to trade the trend. End-of-day data download will be useless if you’re trying to catch intra-day price movements.

You have the fastest Internet access you can afford – Broadband access has never been more affordable, so take advantage of this technology to enhance your trading.

You pay lower/lowest commission – Commission is a business expense and must be kept to the minimum. Even large institutional traders seek ways to pay the lowest available commissions.

You have a fast computer – Prices of computers have gone down considerably and you only need to spend a few hundred dollars to have a fast computer with enough power and storage capacity. Invest in a reliable computer and do not let technology get in the way of your trading profitability.

You use a professional research service – While you could have an information overload given the amount of information readily available on the Internet and other sources, it is wise to use a reliable research or newsletter service that may provide some guidance on specific trades or markets. Use these research services as a starting point to do your own research.

You can find out more about how to trade CFDs in our free CFD Guide

What is a CFD?
Contracts for difference are a popular derivative in the Australian market place. When you own a contract for difference, you own a contract over the difference between the price that you purchased the contract for and the current price of the contract, ie you own a contract over the performance of the share.  That is, if you buy a CFD at $1.43 and the price rises to $1.55, then your contract is for the difference between the purchase price of $1.43 and the current price of $1.55, which is 12 cents in profit.  If the CFD had decreased in value, then you would be obliged to pay the difference between the purchase price and the current price.  Rather than buying the shares, you buy a contract over the movement in the share price and this is revalued or “marked to market” in real time.

A CFD offers you all the benefits of trading shares without having to physically own them.  It is a contract that mirrors the performance of a share or index, is traded on margin, and like physical shares your profit or loss is determined by the difference between the prices you buy and sell at. CFDs also incorporate any adjustments for corporate actions, such as dividends and stock splits.

What are the benefits of CFDs?
CFD’s are traded on margin, which is a more efficient use of your capital because you only have to allocate a small proportion of the value of your position to secure a trade, whilst still maintaining full exposure to the market. In effect you are able to magnify the returns on your investment. The commission charged by CFD providers is low, usually around $10 or 0.1%, this means that you don’t have to pay high priced brokerage on either long or short transactions.

Because you are trading the price movement of a share or index without physically owning it, it is as easy to sell a share or index CFD, as it is to buy it. Therefore a CFD trader has the opportunity to profit from both bull and bear markets as well as short-term intra-day movements.

Just as CFDs mirror the price movement of the physical share market, they also mirror any corporate actions that take place in the underlying share or index (dividends, stock splits or consolidations). This means that the owner of a share CFD will receive dividends, and participate in stock splits, just as they would if they owned the physical share.  It also means that if a share goes ex-dividend (meaning a dividend is due to be paid) while you are short a stock, then you are obliged to pay the dividend in the same way as if you were short the physical stock. When owning a CFD you are not entitled to any voting rights because you do not actually own the underlying shares.

Short Selling
Short selling using CFDs is the same as selling CFDs that you already own. Generally there are no restrictions on how you transact the CFDs or on the number of short sellable CFDs. You can short sell any available CFD however some CFD providers may have a restricted short sell list or restrictions on the amount of a stock that can be short sold. With CFDs you don’t have any short selling restrictions like the uptick rule with shares. This provides significant advantages over the traditional techniques of short selling.

Instruments on which CFDs are offered
Most CFD providers offer CFDs over the major sectors, major share indices and stocks in the major share indices of the major markets. Many CFD providers offer thousands of different instruments in Australia, Asia, the UK, Europe and America.

Costs associated with CFD trading
There is a small commission cost to open a CFD position, the price of a CFD is the same as that of the underlying stock or index on the stock market. This means that purchasing a CFD is the same as purchasing the underlying stock except for the low cost of brokerage, which makes CFD trading ideal for people with low account balances. 

CFD positions carried overnight incur financing costs for the total value of the position.  Traders who are long Australian CFDs will pay interest and those who are short will receive interest on their positions. The interest rate payable is based on the cash rate for the country in which the stock is listed. If the base interest rate of a country is less than the financing cost charged by the CFD provider for going short no interest will be charged on short positions. An example of this is in Japan where interest rates are close to 0%. In this case no interest is chargeable on short CFD positions.

If you hold a CFD overnight, you are charged interest on the total value of the position, this is because the CFD provider hedges your position by financing the purchase of the underlying stock in the market. They then pass on the interest to you the client at a premium.  The interest rate charged depends on the market that is being traded. If you are short a CFD you will receive interest on the full value of your position for every day that you hold your position overnight.  If you have a well-balanced trading system where you are short and long for around the same amount of time, you will effectively only pay only a small interest charge for overnight positions. 

You can find our more about CFD trading in our free CFD Guide.