Launched in 1984, the entire FTSE (Financial Times Stock Exchange) consists of in excess of six hundred companies, that make up approximately 98% of UK market capitalization. This guide will walk you through becoming a FTSE 100 & 250 day trader, covering strategy, plus how to compare FTSE brokers and platforms. We also list the top online brokers with access to the FTSE 100 in 2026.
The brokers listed below primarily offer stock trading through CFDs (Contracts for Difference). This allows for leverage and short-selling, making them effective tools for day traders. However, CFDs do not provide direct ownership of shares and are generally not appropriate for long-term investors due to overnight financing costs.FTSE 100 Brokers
These are the 6 best brokers for trading on the FTSE UK Index:
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- Demo account
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
- Min. deposit: $5
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- Demo account
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA
- Platforms: TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
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- Demo account
- Regulator: FSC
- Platforms: R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView
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- Demo account
- Min. deposit: $0
- Min. trade: 0.01 Lots
73-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs -
- Demo account
- Regulator: FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSC, SCB, FSA
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradeLocker
71.28% of retail traders lose money when trading CFDs -
- Demo account
- Regulator: ASIC, VFSC, FSA
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade
Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.
This is why we think these brokers are the best in this category in 2026:
- XM 4.8/5 XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 20+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been delivering low trading fees across its growing roster of 1000+ instruments. It also offers a comprehensive MetaTrader experience that we've observed firsthand placing test trades. 100% deposit bonus + further offers up to 4500$
- Trade Nation 4.4/5 Trade Nation is a top FX and CFD broker regulated in multiple jurisdictions including the UK and Australia. The firm offers low-cost fixed and variable spreads on 1000+ assets with robust trading platforms and training materials. The Signal Centre can also be used for trade ideas.
- RoboForex 4.5/5 RoboForex is an online broker, established in 2009 and registered with the FSC in Belize. Traders can choose from five accounts (Prime, ECN, R StocksTrader, ProCent, Pro) catering to different needs with trades from 0.01 lots and spreads from 0 pips. RoboForex has also enhanced its offering over the years, adding CFD instruments and launching its stock trading platform, plus the CopyFX system.
- Pepperstone 4.8/5 Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 830,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,400+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, helping to ensure a secure environment for day traders at all levels.
- Eightcap 4.6/5 Eightcap is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker established in Australia in 2009. The broker has proven popular with active day traders, providing 800+ instruments with tight spreads and notable improvements in recent years, integrating the leading TradingView platform, alongside AI-powered financial calendars and algo trading tools with zero coding experience required.
- Fusion Markets 4.6/5 Fusion Markets is an online broker established in 2017 and regulated by the ASIC, VFSC and FSA. It is best known for its low-cost forex and CFD trading, although its multiple account types and copy trading solutions cater to a range of traders. New clients can sign up and start trading in 3 easy steps.
Community Sentiment
See how users rate these brokers based on the average customer ratings submitted on DayTrading.com, plus ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.
| Broker | Our Users' Rating | Trustpilot Score | Trustpilot Reviews | iOS App Rating | Android App Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XM | 3100 | ||||
| Trade Nation | 2170 | ||||
| RoboForex | 776 | ||||
| Pepperstone | 3703 | ||||
| Eightcap | 3908 | ||||
| Fusion Markets | 10215 |
XM
With a low $5 minimum deposit, advanced charting platforms in MT4 and MT5, expanding range of markets, and a Zero account offering spreads from 0.0, XM provides all the essentials for active traders.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
XM quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies
- Regulator
- CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SCA, FSA, FSC-Belize, FSC-Mauritius, CMA-Kenya, CMA-UAE
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
- Minimum Deposit
- $5
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, ZAR
Stock Exchanges
XM offers trading on 16 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- Borsa Italiana
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Deutsche Boerse
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- Hang Seng
- IBEX 35
- Japan Exchange Group
- Korea Exchange
- Nasdaq
- Russell 2000
- S&P 500
- SIX Swiss Exchange
Pros
- XM’s Zero account is ideal for day trading with spreads from 0.0 pips, 99.35% of orders executed in <1 second, and no requotes or rejections.
- XM’s customer support has delivered over years of testing, with 24/7 assistance in 30 languages, response times of under 2 minutes and a growing Telegram channel.
- XM secured a category 5 license from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the United Arab Emirates in late 2025, strengthening its regulatory credentials and making it a strong option for traders in the Middle East.
Cons
- XM relies solely on the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, so there’s no in-house downloadable solution for a more beginner-friendly user experience with unique features.
- Although trusted and generally well-regulated in some regions, XM also has global entities registered with the weak regulators like FSC (Belize) and FSA (Seychelles), whilst UK clients are no longer accepted, reducing its market reach.
- While the XM app stands out for its usability and exclusive copy trading products, the selection of technical analysis tools needs to be improved to meet the needs of advanced traders.
Trade Nation
Trade Nation suits discretionary traders who want to speculate on major indices like the US 500 or liquid FX pairs, and want the predictable all-in costs of fixed spreads. In tests, we found the fixed-spread TN Trader environment particularly useful for trading around scheduled economic releases owing to its reliable charting environment and because published spreads stayed capped.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Trade Nation quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting (UK and Ireland only), Cryptos (Bahamas entity only)
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA
- Platforms
- TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.1 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK
Stock Exchanges
Trade Nation offers trading on 16 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Deutsche Boerse
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- Hang Seng
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- IBEX 35
- Japan Exchange Group
- London Stock Exchange
- Nasdaq
- New York Stock Exchange
- S&P 500
- SIX Swiss Exchange
Pros
- Trade Nation's 2026 partnership with Volt has sped up payments for Australian traders, who can now make instant deposits and withdrawals using PayID, with the faster payout capabilities planned for clients in the UK and EU.
- In testing of the TN Trader account under normal market conditions, fixed spreads held while fills were prompt on major forex pairs, with a slight drift in the entry level as price ticked between click and fill.
- The broker expanded into Europe with regulated online trading services after securing authorization from Portugal's CVMV, boosting its safety protections for European residents.
Cons
- The 2–20% rebate scheme is closed to FCA, CMVM, and ASIC clients, meaning active day traders in these regions who would benefit from transaction rebates cannot claim them.
- There is no raw or ECN pricing tier, which are often prefered by day traders. No matter how much you deposit or trade, you use the same fixed (or variable on MT4) pricing as beginners, making it unsuitable for scalpers especially.
- Offshore SCB and FSA entities allow retail clients up to 1:200 and 1:500 leverage compared to 1:30 in regions like the UK, Europe and Australia, so an FSA client can have 16 times the exposure of a UK retail client on the same trade, but with less oversight and no compensation scheme.
RoboForex
RoboForex is great if you want a vast range of 12,000+ day trading markets with ECN accounts, powerful charting and loyalty promotions. It also stands out for stock traders with its user-friendly R StocksTrader platform, featuring 3,000+ shares, fees from $0.01 and sophisticated watchlists.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
RoboForex quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Crypto
- Regulator
- FSC
- Platforms
- R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit
- $10
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR
Stock Exchanges
RoboForex offers trading on 13 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Deutsche Boerse
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- IBEX 35
- Japan Exchange Group
- Nasdaq
- New York Stock Exchange
- S&P 500
- SIX Swiss Exchange
Pros
- In 2026, RoboForex introduced swap-free trading across all accounts, removing overnight interest charges, and potentially appealing to swing forex traders, though spreads and commissions may still apply.
- RoboForex secured the 'Best Forex Broker 2025' title in DayTrading.com's Awards after broadening their FX offering, cutting spreads and opening up services in various countries.
- In July MobileTrader Telegram Mini App was released - bringing out one of the first solutions we've seen that lets users execute trades and manage positions without leaving the Telegram messaging app.
Cons
- RoboForex provides a variety of account types, which, while offering flexibility, can be overwhelming for newer traders trying to choose the most suitable option for their trading style. Alternatives, notably eToro, provide a smoother entry into online trading with one retail account.
- Despite 15+ years in the industry and registering with the Financial Commission, RoboForex is authorized by one ‘Red-Tier’ regulator – the FSC in Belize, lowering the level of regulatory protections for traders.
- Despite offering a range of platforms, RoboForex still doesn't support the increasingly popular cTrader. This might deter traders who prefer this specific platform for their day trading activities and is available at firms like Fusion Markets.
Pepperstone
Pepperstone stands out as a top choice for day trading, offering razor-sharp spreads, ultra-fast execution, and advanced charting platforms for experienced traders. New traders are also welcomed with no minimum deposit, extensive educational resources, and exceptional 24/5 support (18h a day on weekends).
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Pepperstone quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto CFDs, Spread Betting
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, SCA, SCB, CMA-Kenya
- Platforms
- Pepperstone Trading Platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD
Stock Exchanges
Pepperstone offers trading on 21 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Deutsche Boerse
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- Hang Seng
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- IBEX 35
- Japan Exchange Group
- Korea Exchange
- London Stock Exchange
- Nasdaq
- New York Stock Exchange
- Russell 2000
- S&P 500
- SIX Swiss Exchange
- Shanghai Stock Exchange
- Shenzhen Stock Exchange
- Taiwan Stock Exchange
Pros
- Award-winning customer support is available via telephone, email or live chat with response times of <5 minutes during testing and friendly agents knowledgeable about its products and trading tools.
- After adding spread betting through TradingView, Pepperstone provides a seamless, tax-efficient trading experience with advanced analysis tools for financial spread bettors in supported countries.
- Offers a dedicated CopyTrading app for traders who want a less active approach to trading, available in some countries.
Cons
- Overnight holding fees are higher than that found with some Market Maker brokers (usually Benchmark + 2.5%). This makes pepperstone an ideal broker for day traders and forex scalpers but less suitable for swing traders who often keep position open overnight.
- Pepperstone has removed support for several tools that elevated the trading experience for active retail traders, notably Autochartist, Capitalise.ai and a free VPS for qualifying traders (now only pro traders in some countries).
- Despite improvements to its range of markets, crypto CFD offerings are still fairly limited compared to other brokers who focus on this area, such as Eightcap, and there's no option to invest in real coins.
Eightcap
Eightcap delivers in every area for day traders with a growing selection of charting platforms, education via Labs, and AI-powered tools. Now sporting 120+ crypto CFDs, it's also become a stand-out choice for crypto trading, winning our 'Best Crypto Broker' award two years in a row.
Christian Harris, Reviewer
Eightcap quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs in Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto
- Regulator
- FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSC, SCB, FSA
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradeLocker
- Minimum Deposit
- $100
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SGD
Stock Exchanges
Eightcap offers trading on 16 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- Hang Seng
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Japan Exchange Group
- London Stock Exchange
- Nasdaq
- New York Stock Exchange
- Russell 2000
- S&P 500
- SIX Swiss Exchange
- Toronto Stock Exchange
Pros
- Eightcap stands out with a selection of powerful trading tools and resources, including MT4 and MT5, and more recently the 100-million strong social trading network TradingView.
- Having excelled across all key areas for day traders, Eightcap outperformed every competitor to win our 'Best Overall Broker' award for 2024, also securing our 'Best Crypto Broker' title for 2025 and 'Best TradingView Broker' for 2025.
- Eightcap added TradeLocker in 2026 for certain regions, marking it out as the best regulated TradeLocker broker, while still delivering Eightcap's ultra-fast execution and low fees for active traders on the charting software.
Cons
- The demo account expires after 30 days and can only be extended upon request - a notable inconvenience compared to the likes of XM with its unlimited demo mode.
- Eightcap needs to continue bolstering its suite of 800+ instruments to match category leaders like Blackbull Markets with its 26,000+ assets, featuring a particularly weak selection of commodities.
- Despite a useful library of educational guides and e-books in Labs, Eightcap still trails IG’s comprehensive toolkit for aspiring traders with its dedicated IG Academy app and 18 course categories.
Fusion Markets
Fusion Markets is a standout option for forex traders looking for excellent pricing with spreads near zero, industry-low commissions and recently TradingView integration. It’s a particularly good broker for Australian traders where the company is headquartered and regulated by the ASIC.
Jemma Grist, Reviewer
Fusion Markets quick facts
- Demo Account
- ✔Yes
- Instruments
- CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto
- Regulator
- ASIC, VFSC, FSA
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade
- Minimum Deposit
- $0
- Minimum Trade
- 0.01 Lots
- Account Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, CHF, HKD, SGD
Stock Exchanges
Fusion Markets offers trading on 12 stock exchanges:
- Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
- CAC 40 Index France
- DAX GER 40 Index
- Dow Jones
- Euronext
- FTSE UK Index
- Hang Seng
- IBEX 35
- Japan Exchange Group
- Nasdaq
- New York Stock Exchange
- S&P 500
Pros
- Fusion Markets offers best-in-class support with very fast, friendly and helpful responses during tests and no frustrating automated chatbot to navigate.
- Withdrawal processing times have been slashed to under an hour and can be processed 24/7, making it faster and easier for active traders to withdraw any gains.
- The range of charting platforms and social trading features is excellent, with MT4, MT5, cTrader and more recently TradingView, catering to a wide range of trader preferences.
Cons
- The demo account expires after 30 days, limiting its potential as a useful trading tool alongside a real-money account.
- Traders outside of Australia must sign up with weakly regulated global entities with limited safeguards, though in August 2026 they made negative balance protection available to all eligible accounts.
- There is no proprietary trading platform or app built with beginners in mind, a notable drawback compared to AvaTrade.
How To Compare FTSE Brokers
If you want to start day trading the FTSE 100 or 250 to make money, you will need to follow two important steps, starting with choosing an online brokerage.
FTSE brokers will be your gateway to the market. They will facilitate your trades and their platform is where you may spend hours each day. However, with so many brokers that support trading on the FTSE, what should you look for?
- Price – How competitive are their commission costs? What are their margin rates? Do they have a transparent fee structure? If you are making a high volume of trades a day, expensive broker fees will quickly add up and cut into your profits. eToro for example, offers FTSE 100 CFD trading with a 1.75 point spread, with no account management fees including for copy trading services. Additionally, FTSE brokers with low non-trading fees such as deposit and withdrawal charges, inactivity fees, and account maintenance costs can help protect profit margins.
- Platform – Is their platform straightforward to use and equipped with all the index graphs, charts, and tools you need for technical analysis? How fast are their execution speeds? Access to integrated indicators such moving average convergence divergence (MACD) may be useful when identifying trends in the FTSE index. Having the choice between third-party platforms or proprietary software is also worth looking out for. Of course it often comes down to personal preference but stability and reliability with fast execution speeds are important.
- Customer service – Any glitch could cost you time and money. So, do the FTSE brokers in question offer fast and reliable customer support during trading hours? Is it via the phone or online web chat? Some FTSE brokers, including EagleFX, now promise 24/7 support, in a number of languages meaning you can access help even when the markets are closed.
- Regulation – Is the broker authorized by a top-tier financial regulator? Does it offer client safeguarding such as negative balance protection, access to compensation schemes and segregated funds? The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK’s financial watchdog. Look out for FTSE brokers with oversight from this body or other well-regarded institutions such as CySEC or ASIC.
Choosing between FTSE brokers is one of the most important investment decisions you will make. The FTSE is a highly competitive marketplace, so do your homework and check reviews first.
What Is The FTSE?
A Brief History
The ‘footsie’ is the primary stock exchange in the UK and remains today the largest in Europe. Its humble origins date back to 1773, but the regional exchanges merged in 1973 to become the Stock Exchange of Great Britain and Ireland. This was later rebranded the LSE, which stands for the London Stock Exchange. Today’s name comes from the merging of initials from the Financial Times and London Stock Exchange, both of whom used to own 50% of the index.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is the most globally diverse of all stock exchanges, containing 350 companies from over 50 countries. During market hours, it is an elite source of equity-market liquidity and serves as a benchmark for prices and market data across Europe.
FTSE Indexes
FTSE 100
If you’re looking for shares and stocks to buy, you head to FTSE 100 brokers. Today it is seen as the dominant index, containing the 100 UK stocks with the highest market capitalization (number of shares issued multiplied by the price of shares). These are also known as ‘blue chips.’
It contains some of the most famous companies in the world. Currently, the top 50 include oil and energy companies such as Shell and BP, plus Lloyds bank, Vodafone, and Glencore. Huge mining and property businesses also feature in the top 100.
Other Indexes
Although the FTSE 100 represents approximately 81% of LSE market capitalization, it’s also worth noting there are other indices. The other two main lists are the:
- FTSE 250 – This is comprised of the next 250 companies ranked by market capitalization. Although less known, this still includes some big names, such as Weatherspoon and JD Sport. The FTSE 250 is often thought of as a better indicator of UK economic performance than the FTSE 100, as a smaller proportion of the listed companies are international.
- FTSE 350 – This is simply the aggregation of the FTSE 100 and 250.
There also exists three other indexes worth understanding:
- FTSE SmallCap – This is comprised of small market capitalization companies, ranking from 351st to 619th largest listed companies on the main LSE market.
- FTSE Aim All-Share – Originally known as the FTSE Actuaries All Share Index, this capitalization-weighted index, consists of approximately 600 of over 2,000 companies that are traded on the LSE. It is maintained by FTSE Russel.
- FTSE Fledgling – This is formed of companies listed on the main LSE market, which qualify for inclusion in the FTSE UK series, but remain too small to be included in the FTSE All-Share index.
Component companies must meet the stringent requirements laid out by the FTSE group. This includes having a full listing on the London Stock Exchange with a sterling or euro denominated price on the Stock Exchange Electronic Trading Service. They must also meet tests on nationality, free float, plus liquidity.
The FTSE is made up of a significant number of index series. Each focuses on varying aspects and are based on different sectors, including those that are geared towards certain companies. You will also find some are alternatively weighted, plus those that concentrate on fixed income.
Note, not all FTSE brokers will provide access to each index. Instead, the top brokers that offer trading on the FTSE focus on the top 100 index.
What Is The FTSE Used For?
What is the meaning and aim of the FTSE? At a glance, the FTSE 100 list offers a snapshot of UK stock market performance. In theory, the FTSE also acts as a gauge for overall UK economic health. However, since so many of the featured companies are international in nature with operations slung across the globe, whether this is entirely accurate is debatable.
It is often a relatively accurate reflection of economic and international events. This is evidenced by the fact that the greatest one-day percentage drop was on the 20th October 1987 at 12.22%, following ‘Black Monday’. So, the FTSE indexes will plummet in response to other failing markets.
Aside from its primary use, it is also used by thousands of individuals every week to try and make a profit from the price fluctuations in the listed shares via FTSE brokers. This is because if you track the FTSE over time you can get a feel for changes in market sentiment. You have probably heard the phrase the index is ‘up’ or ‘down’. The former is when more people are buying than selling, leading to a rise in share prices. If the index slumps, people are dumping their shares.
How you can start investing with brokers that support trading on the FTSE to generate earnings will be detailed further below.
How The FTSE Works
Weighting
Share prices are weighted by market capitalization. This means smaller companies will have less of an impact on an index.
Part of the basic formula is concerned with the free float adjustment factor. This represents the percentage of all issues shares that are accessible to trade. That factor will then be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5%.
To find the free float capitalization of a company, you will first have to calculate its market capitalization (number of shares x share price). Once you have that, you multiply by its free-float factor.
This means free-float capitalization will not include restricted stocks. Those held by company insiders, for example.
High Volume FTSE Stocks
| Stock | Symbol | Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Barclays | BARC | Trade Now |
| Lloyds Bank | LLOY | Trade Now |
| Vodafone | VOD | Trade Now |
| BP | BP | Trade Now |
FTSE Changes
The FTSE listed companies are ranked by a subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange Group. The company list is best described as a football league. Those that decrease in market capitalization will be relegated, whilst the high performers will be promoted.
Those changes are made each quarter. Normally, the review dates are the Wednesday following the first Friday in March, June, September, and December. Changes that are made will be based on company valuations after the close of business the night before reviews will be conducted. The panel that makes the changes consist of independent market experts and announces new entrants. Specifications can be found via FTSE brokers’ platform interface, with company list changes reflected.
To establish those changes a banding system is used. You must be in the top 90 to be eligible for promotion. To be relegated, you must have dropped to 111th.
Mergers and takeovers are often big reasons behind position moves. Growth and trends in global markets also have an influence on FTSE risers and fallers.
Performance can be seen in real time, with daily updates, plus live updates every 15 seconds during trading hours. The opening time is 08:00 (UK Local time – GMT in winter, BST in summer) and the closing time, 16:30. The closing value is then taken at 16:35.
Points To Remember
Below some of the most important FTSE facts and stats have been highlighted and explained. Bear these in mind when investing via FTSE brokers:
- When the index began on the 3rd of January 1984, the base level was just 1000.
- Records show the highest ever closing value was 7,687.77, which was reached on the 29th December 2017.
- The new highest intra-day value was 7,697.62, which was also reached on the 29th December 2017.
- Previous peaks were seen on the final day of 1999, amidst the dot-com boom, plus April 2015, when the index hit 7103.98.
- Since the FTSE opening, reports show the lowest point of 3529.86 was recorded on the 5th March 2009.
- When the FTSE is quoted as ‘up’ or ‘down’, this is against the previous day’s close.
- The figure you will see on the evening news at the end of today is the closing value of the FTSE.
- A dividend yield or dividend-price ratio of a share is the dividend per share, divided by the price per share. It is also a company’s total annual dividend payments divided by its market capitalization. The highest FTSE dividend yields can help investors determine where to put their capital.
Performance Points
It is worth knowing that if sterling falls, many listed companies will actually see their profits increase. This is because they receive more pounds when revenues denominated in foreign currencies are transferred into sterling. Top-rated FTSE brokers offer user-friendly insights into forex activity.
In recent years, the index has rested around an all-time high. This is because global equity (stock) prices have been pushed higher, firstly by low-interest rates. However, also because of quantitive easing measures, which is when a central bank buys securities from the government or market to lower interest rates, increasing the money supply.
Impact Of Brexit
Interestingly, Brexit has meant the big companies and movers listed in the FTSE 100 are even more global because they need to rely less on the UK domestic economy.
As such, Rentokil Initial was one of the biggest 250 risers to be promoted to the FTSE 100, benefiting from the drop in the pound. On the flip side, domestic-based householder Berkely became one of the recent FTSE losers and was relegated.
Biggest Players
Some of the largest FTSE businesses dominate the index. Shell, for example, currently has a market capitalization of over 200 million. You will also find banks towards the top of the list, such as HSBC, with over 153 million. Other top contenders include British American Tobacco with around 113 million and BP with approximately 102 million. Keep an eye out for these on the list of stocks offered by FTSE brokers.
These are currently the four constituents with over 100 million in market capitalization. The combined size of the top four is larger than nearly the rest of the list combined. This is the effect of having a market capitalization-weighted system.
Choosing A FTSE Stock
With such a competitive marketplace at your fingertips, choosing the right stock to trade will make all the difference to your final profits. Having said that, there are two main attributes to look for in a stock, volume, and volatility. Both will enable you to enter and exit positions quickly, whilst offering the greatest opportunity to turn a profit.
Volume
This is simply the total number of shares being traded within a certain period. Each transaction will increase the total volume. So, if only thirty transactions take place today, the volume for the day would be thirty.
Volume is an effective quality factor, that gives weight to market moves. If you see a spike in your FTSE 100 live chart, the validity of the move can be gauged by the volume within that period. The greater the volume, the more substantial the move.
Applying Volume
The more capital you have, the more you need FTSE stocks with substantial volumes. Your FTSE brokers may offer you a list of the top 20-25 stocks. However, expanding that search with a thorough stock screener could make all the difference.
Below are three popular alternatives.
- Bar Chart
- TheStreet
- Yahoo Finance Unusual Volume
All will collate essential information, including volume, volatility, stock price, and other points of interest.
Whether you’re looking at the FTSE now, today, or tomorrow, you will need an effective FTSE 100 and 250 live index tracker and screener. So, it’s worth shopping around now to save yourself an expensive headache later.
Volatility
When you load up your live FTSE index in the morning, you should also look for volatility in your stocks. This is the amount of risk and unpredictability in the size of changes in a security’s value. High volatility suggests the value could be spread over a large range of values. This could be an indicator that the price of the stock could significantly fluctuate in a short period.
This provides the switched on day trader with the opportunity to turn a profit. Stocks with lower volatility will remain steady, offering less profit potential.
Applying Volatility
An effective way of establishing the volatility of a potential FTSE stock is to use beta. Beta predicts the total volatility of a stock’s returns against the returns of a suitable benchmark. For example, a stock with a beta value of 1.1 has moved around 110% for every 100% in the corresponding benchmark (contingent on price level). Likewise, a stock with a beta of just .7 has shifted just 70% for every 100% in the benchmark index.
Being armed with information on a stock’s volume and volatility, allows you to validate a price move and screen a stock for profit potential. And fortunately, the best FTSE brokers will offer beginner-friendly volatility indicators and tools.
Strategy
Trading stocks at FTSE brokers have been around long before futures, options, and bitcoin trading. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it straightforward. So, once you have chosen between FTSE brokers. you will need an effective strategy to turn a profit.
The best strategies analyse market data using charts and patterns. Quite simply, with historical price data to hand, you can better predict future price movements.
Technical analysis is a mixture of art and science, and it is a craft that requires patience and experience to master.
Set Up
For the best chances of success, you often need to be up early. Experienced investors like to be sat at their screen around 30 minutes before the FTSE opens at 08:00 (UK local time). The top FTSE brokers may permit extended hours trading meaning you can buy or sell securities when major markets are closed. Nonetheless, any preparation time allows you time to get ahead of the game, by doing the following:
1. Check The News
Look to see if there have been any news events overnight that will impact today’s market, and if so, which stocks in particular. You can then formulate trade setups that present themselves in the aftermath of major news events. Terrorist incidents, plus political and economic stories can all influence the market, particularly when the market opens.
FTSE brokers with integrated economic calendars will rank highly here. You will be able to view scheduled dates of significant releases or events that may affect the movement of individual security prices or markets via one interface.
2. Context
You can use any number of FTSE charts, from 1, 2, and 5 minutes, to 2 and 4-hour charts. All will allow you to assess price action. However, using hour timeframes is often an effective way to assess market sentiment.
With longer timeframes, you’re in a better position to identify where a current stock is in a trend. You can then look for momentum trades, pullback reversals, or you can trade in trend channels and make reversal trades from the top of a trend.
It can often be helpful to plot horizontal lines to pencil in your judgement on the top and bottom of the trending range.
3. 5-Minute Chart Preparation
Once you have set up the above, you can then concentrate on your 5-minute timeframe chart. Placing four horizontal support and resistance lines on your 5-minute chart is often a good place to start. These can be positioned at the four most significant levels of the last trading session, the opening and close price, plus the daily low and high. These levels often play a significant role the next day.
You can then use a MACD indicator or Stochastic to gauge whether the momentum is bullish or bearish. Having the 8, 20 and 90 EMAs on your chart can also prove useful.
4. Making Trades
You have now set up your charts at FTSE brokers, giving you the context and crucial foundations for the day ahead. You have identified what to look for in terms of possible reversals, pullbacks, plus trend continuation trends. The next thing you need to do is watch those 5-minute candlesticks form. You are looking for telling patterns that will emerge throughout the day. FTSE price action analysis is an important component of successful trading.
The majority of your day will now be noting what happens at your key levels. The pin bar candlesticks, inside and outside bars, plus traps will be the events in your day that offer the most opportunity.
You will have just a few seconds to confirm whether the candlestick pattern reinforces your trend-lines, support and resistance levels. For example, is a head and shoulders pattern confirmed by a current price action? As soon as the market confirms your signal, you can then enter a trade. You will need to use a risk management strategy to decide upon the size of your trade. In general, trading no more than 1-2% of your account balance on a single trade is advised.
This is just one way to go about day trading with FTSE brokers. Many traders prefer using longer time frames. You can fiddle around and try a few to see what system paints you the clearest picture.
10 & 25 Exponential Moving Averages
As a beginner looking to start trading at FTSE brokers, using 10 and 25 exponential moving averages on a 30-minute time frame is a good place to start. This is a system that is also effective in other markets, including the S&P, Dax 40, and Dow Jones.
Once 10 crosses the 25, you will get an alert for the trade. Then you need to identify when the price hits the 25 EMA. If the 10 comes up and through the 25, you need to look for a long. However, if the 10 drops down through the 25, you should look for a short.
Using a fast and slow moving average in this strategy, you will reduce whipsaw price action. This will help you enter trades with weight to them. This straightforward strategy is best for when you are at your desk analyzing the price action yourself.
For further guidance, example charts, patterns, and strategies, see our stocks and strategy guides.
FTSE Tips
News
Although mentioned above, this top tip deserves emphasising. Reading the latest news is important, as highlighted by successful FTSE day trader David Rogerson. You need to be able to anticipate market moves and news stories often trigger significant shifts.
Today you can find FTSE live news reports and updates from a variety of sources. Yahoo and Bloomberg are just two popular sources. FTSE news websites can offer 2026 forecasts and predictions. They will often collate historical price data, share values, sector positions, plus long-term overviews. Not to mention they will usually provide the FTSE open and close of the previous day.
The best FTSE brokers will consolidate the latest news into digestible publications found via your client portal dashboard. All will help you get a feel for who the FTSE gainers and fallers will be.
Educational Resources
As successful trader Paul Tudor Jones pointed out, “Intellectual capital will always trump financial capital.” Utilize the multitude of resources out there. The best FTSE brokers will integrate some of these into their service offering:
- Forums & chat rooms – You can brainstorm trading ideas and quiz experienced traders on all share index charts and funds, for example.
- Online courses & video tutorials – They can teach you the basics, from how to execute trades to making your own FTSE 100 forecasts.
- Books & ebooks – You can find books on all things FTSE related. They can cover quarterly reviews, analysis of the last 12 months, new listings, understanding option prices, the outlook for 2026, and more.
- PDFs – These could help you better interpret price history.
- Charts – You can find share fact sheets, with yields, constituents, and trackers.
It could also be worth exploring the large number of FTSE focussed websites out there. Whether you are looking for last week and last 12 month reviews, or next week and future FTSE predictions, there are numerous sites who have already done the heavy lifting for you. You can just glean the important information from a summary. Some will even offer 5 and 10-year predictions.
Automation
Once you’ve mastered an effective FTSE strategy, you may want to consider turning to trading automation. Algorithms and FTSE 100 day trading robots will execute trades on your behalf, following pre-determined criteria. This will allow you to make a higher volume of trades across more FTSE indexes than you would be able to manually. All of this could lead to an increase in your end of day profits.
FTSE brokers may offer trading signals, robots and algo builders for free download, or look out for third-party options without an additional investment requirement.
Journals
Although overlooked, keeping a journal can be a wise move. You can use an excel spreadsheet or specialist software. All you need to do is keep a note of the following:
- Price
- Entry & exit position
- Purchase & sell date & time
- Reason for making the trade
With this information to hand, you will find it easier to analyze your recent performance. This will allow you to rectify mistakes and improve your strategy. Without a journal it could be months before you identify why and where you are going wrong.
The majority of FTSE brokers also offer access to a demo account meaning you can put your skills to the test before entering the live trading environment. Improve your strategy risk-free with virtual funds.
Final Word On FTSE Brokers
FTSE 100 and 350 predictions and rankings will continue to change. That change offers a snapshot of UK and international economic performance. For the switched on investor, these indices and markets offer a tremendous opportunity to profit from the price fluctuations seen every day.
Use our guide to compare FTSE brokers providing stable market access to succeed with your strategy. Also utilize the numerous resources available and follow the tips and strategy advice listed above to join the FTSE winners.