IQ Option is a trading platform that is mainly famous for binary and digital options. However, other financial instruments are also available on the platform. Today we will show what is a CFD. We are convinced that you will enjoy this form of trading no less than options trading. CFDs are more like trading on traditional stock exchanges. It allows you to speculate on different markets and make money on both rising and falling prices. Are you interested? Here we go!

What is a CFD?

CFD stands for a contract for difference. The trader and the broker agree to exchange the difference in price of an asset. At the beginning of the contract and at the end of it.

What is a CFD
What is a CFD

Basically using CFD traders buy or sell assets without actually owning them. Essentially the trader predicts the asset price direction and if the forecast is right the trader earns a profit. If the forecast is wrong. The contract will result in loss for the trader. Note that it is up to the trader to decide when the position should be closed.

CFD trading example

Let's take an example. Mario would like to buy 1000 stocks of company A that currently cost 20 dollars each. Forecasting that they will grow in price in the future Mario pays twenty thousand dollars to the broker for 1000 stocks.

Mario buys 1000 stocks
Mario buys 1000 stocks

After a period of time as Mario predicted the price of stocks increases. Now they cost twenty five dollars so Mario closes the contract and sells the stocks. As Mario's forecast is correct he receives the price difference in the amount of 5000 dollars from the broker.

Marios forecast is correct
Marios forecast is correct

But what if Mario's forecast is wrong and the stocks drop in price? In this case, Mario will have to pay the difference to the broker at the end of the contract.

Marios forecast was wrong
Marios forecast was wrong

How to calculate profit with CFD trading on IQ Option

Saying what is a CFD, it is necessary to mention how profits and losses from transactions are counted. The profit in CFD trading at IQ Option is calculated depending on which position you open (buy or sell).

How to calculate profit for IQ Option CFD long position with

If you are intending to buy an asset expecting it will grow in value your position is called Long.

Long position
Long position

For long positions the profit is calculated according to the formula: closing price / (opening price – 1) x leverage x investment.

LONG position profit formula
LONG position profit formula

For example, Stephen invested 1000 dollars in buying stocks of company A at the opening price of 12 dollars. He applied a leverage of one to five. When Stephen closed the position the stock cost fifteen dollars. Let's calculate his profit from the transaction.

LONG position - calculation
LONG position – calculation

Stephen made a profit of 12 hundred and fifty dollars.

Calculate profit for IQ Option CFD short position

When you are intending to sell an asset you don't own expecting that it will decrease in value your position is called short.

Short position
Short position

For a short position, the profit is calculated according to the formula (1 – closing price) / opening price x leverage x investment.

SHORT position profit formula
SHORT position profit formula

Have a look at the next example. John used 5000 dollars to sell stocks of company A. The price of stocks when the position was opened was thirteen dollars. When John closed the position the price was 11 dollars. John traded with a leverage of one to three.

SHORT position - calculation
SHORT position – calculation

Following the calculations, John's profit resulted in two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars.

Is CFD a good investment?

You already know what is a CFD and you may wonder whether to use this instrument. It all depends here on the time frame in which you are trading. CFDs are always compared to trading on stock exchanges, where you buy a real share of the company. When it comes to day trading, scalping or even swing trading, CFDs are a great solution. You have access to many markets. You also have an easy interface to trade. Finally, you get large leverage which allows you to make large trades without having to put a large deposit in your account.

But if you want to invest long-term and, for example, hold Tesla shares for a year or several years, CFDs are not the way to go here. With CFDs your broker will charge you an overnight fee. This is a percentage fee charged overnight on the total value of the position including leverage. For this reason, if you are a long-term investor, a large part of your profit could be eaten up by these fees.

CFDs at IQ Option are available for almost any asset: oil, gas, gold, stocks, currency pairs, cryptocurrencies etc.

Also read: CFDs On IQ Option Made Simpler.

We wish you a pleasant trading experience.


GENERAL RISK WARNING

IQ option products like CFDs and options are investments that can be risky. This means that if you invest in them, you could lose your money quickly. In fact, 83% of people who invest in CFDs with this provider "IQ Option" lose money. You should make sure you understand how CFDs work and if you can afford to risk losing your money. Remember, this article is not giving you any advice about investing. Any information about what happened in the past or what could happen in the future is just an opinion and not guaranteed to be true. Including examples given in the content displayed. Be warned!

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Niels Hammer

Trading and investing are lifelong pursuits for me, and I will most likely never stop learning about them. I started trading with IQ Option in 2014 and have been with them ever since. And I've seen the platform mature. Nowadays, I'm very interested in cryptocurrency and am attempting to learn and invest my time and money in it. On the other hand, I try to help you guys as much as I can with this blog. Happy trading!

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