Forex Index Trading

Q: Is there an index for forex?

There isn’t a specific forex index on the market. However, we've created bespoke baskets of currency pairs, which allow you to speculate on the price movements of one currency pair against a basket of pairs. Our forex indices include the USD Index and GBP Index.

Q: How are forex indices weighted?

Our forex indices have a base level price of 1,000 (or 20,000 for the JPY Index), and the weighting of each component within an index is capped at 40% of the total trade volume. Learn more about forex indices

Q: Are any of your forex indices focused on emerging currencies?

We have one forex index that’s focused on emerging currencies, our CNH Index, as well as minor currencies including the NOK, SEK, and SGD.

Q: How does CMC Markets protect my money?

Client money is held in segregated accounts, in line with applicable regulatory requirements. Segregation means client money is kept separate from the firm's own money. Regulatory protection doesn't remove the risk of trading losses.

Q: Is CMC Markets regulated?

Yes, CMC Markets Canada Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). CFDs are distributed in Canada by CMC Markets Canada Inc. acting as principal.

Q: Is it free to open an account?

There's no fee to open an account. Trading costs may apply when you trade, including spreads, commissions, holding costs, and other applicable charges.

Q: How does CMC Markets make money?

CMC Markets may make money from the spread, which is the difference between the buy and sell prices. Depending on the account type and product, commissions and holding costs may also apply.

Q: What can I trade with CMC Markets?

CMC Markets Canada offers access to CFDs across forex and other markets. Product availability may vary by account type, platform, and jurisdiction.

Est. 1989

2m+ global traders and investors¹

LSE listed*

2025 WINNER

No.1 Commissions & Fees

ForexBrokers.com Awards

2023 WINNER

Best Forex Broker

Good Money Guide Awards

2024 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

More than a forex trading platform

We've got your pair

More forex pairs than any other broker² If you want it, we've probably got it.

Precision pricing

We combine multiple feeds from tier-one banks, to get you the most accurate bid/ask price.

No partial fills

Access execution with no partial fills on supported order types

Tight spreads

Trade major forex pairs from 0.0 pips with an FX Active account.

Dedicated customer service

Experienced customer service available in EN, FR, and ZH to support you in your trading.

CIRO member firm

CMC Markets Canada Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and operates on an order-execution-only basis.

How do forex indices work?

Our forex indices group individual FX pairs with the same base currency to make a forex 'basket'. The indices track the underlying prices of the currency pairs within that index. If the individual forex prices in that index increase, then the value of the index will go up. Conversely, if the individual FX prices decrease, then the value of that index will fall.

Trading forex indices as opposed to individual currencies can potentially be a more cost-effective and efficient way of trading, as it allows you to take a view on one area of the forex market, without having to open a position on each FX pair. It can be a good way to diversify your portfolio; for example, geopolitical issues could affect one currency pair in the index, while the others may remain unaffected. Forex indices might also be used to hedge any unfavourable moves in a particular currency and spread your risk, through exposure to a wider range of currencies rather than just one currency pair.

It's important to be aware that CFDs are high-risk, speculative products. High volatility combined with leverage could lead to significant losses. As with any leveraged product, profits and losses are magnified as they are based on the full value of the position, not just your initial deposit on a trade. While you could profit if the market moves in your favour, you could also make a loss if the trade moves against you, particularly if you don't have adequate risk-management cover in place.

Forex trading explained

Exclusive to CMC

Major forex indices to trade

We offer 12 different forex indices. Each is made up of a range of currency pairs with the same base currency. So the CMC USD Index, for example, is made up of a collection of US dollar pairs. Our full range of forex indices is listed below.

CMC USD Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the US dollar as the base currency.

CMC GBP Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the British pound sterling as the base currency.

CMC EUR Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the euro as the base currency.

CMC AUD Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the Australian dollar as the base currency.

CMC CAD Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the Canadian dollar as the base currency.

CMC CHF Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the Swiss franc as the base currency.

CMC CNH Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the Chinese yuan.

CMC JPY Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the Japanese yen.

CMC NOK Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the Norwegian krone.

CMC NZD Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the New Zealand dollar.

CMC SEK Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the Swedish krona.

CMC SGD Index

A collection of currency pairs which share the same base currency: the Singapore dollar.

Forex index details

View the spreads, margin rates and trading hours for our 12 major forex indices in the table below.

Instrument	Spread	Margin rate	Trading hours
CMC USD Index	from 0.25pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC GBP Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC EUR Index	from 0.25pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC AUD Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC CAD Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC CHF Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC CNH Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC JPY Index	from 5pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC NOK Index	from 0.6pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC NZD Index	from 0.5pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC SEK Index	from 0.6pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday
CMC SGD Index	from 0.3pts	5%	00:00-22:00, Monday to Friday

View all of our costs

What are other traders saying about CMC Markets?

As a financial services pioneer, we combine technical excellence with 37 years of industry know-how. That‘s why 2 million+ global traders and investors put their confidence in us.³

User FriendUser Friendly Platform / Easy to Use / Nice charts ly Platform / Easy to Use /…User Friendly Platform / Easy to Use / Nice charts M D Khorasani,2 hours ago

great chartsgreat chartsYves Larochelle,yesterday

like numbersnumberslike numbersAlbert,2 days ago

So easy to useSo easy to use, no irritating complication like I’ve experienced on other platform, I certain that I’m sticking with them…Millie,3 days ago

I use CMC for spread bettingI use CMC for spread betting. It’s pretty easy to use. Like any leveraged trading platform, it’s easy to take a lot of risk! Easy to use,3 days ago

very easy platform quick to move around…very easy platform quick to move around user friendly easy to learn comfortable to use Yunus Luqmani,5 days ago

New hereNew here, and finding my way around and looking to the futureRobert Patterson,5 days ago

Prefect dataPrefect dataKhalil,7 days ago

Good simple to use appGood simple to use appDIPA LAKHMAN,October 22

I like it because it’s easy to trade or…I like it because it’s easy to trade or make deposit or withdraw and quick login and logout and no extra charges Afsin,October 22

How our forex indices are weighted

Our forex indices were created with a base level price of 1,000 for the USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, NZD, CAD, CNH, CHF, SEK, NOK and SGD indices, and a base level price of 20,000 for the JPY index, as of 31 December 2018. The weighting of each index component is capped at 40% of the total trade volume.

INSTRUMENTS	USD	GBP	EUR	AUD	CAD	CHF	CNH	JPY	NOK	NZD	PLN	SEK	SGD
CMC USD Index		5.56	28.60	1.63	25.18	3.35	24.59	8.21	-	-	-	-	2.86
CMC GBP Index	21.91		40.00	-	3.26	3.91	17.90	2.73	7.94	-	-	2.35	-
CMC EUR Index	22.70	13.13		1.51	2.34	8.10	23.03	3.90	5.55	-	12.23	5.94	1.58
CMC AUD Index	11.20	1.94	12.51		-	1.39	40.00	24.91	-	2.66	-	-	5.40
CMC CAD Index	40.00	5.07	17.90	1.00		2.66	26.08	6.42	0.87	-	-	-	-
CMC CHF Index	23.84	7.05	40.00	1.44	3.09		17.41	3.33	-	-	-	-	3.86
CMC CNH Index	28.37	5.24	31.18	8.83	4.91	2.82		14.81	-	-	-	-	3.84
CMC JPY Index	24.94	2.10	14.55	11.02	3.18	1.42	38.97		-	-	-	-	3.82
CMC NOK Index	5.72	25.34	40.00	-	1.78	0.62	9.01	1.41		-	-	16.12	-
CMC NZD Index	14.11	3.06	12.63	15.45	1.92	-	39.21	8.77	-		-	-	4.83
CMC SEK Index	13.15	9.29	40.00	1.31	-	1.53	12.40	2.39	19.93	-	-		-
CMC SGD Index	25.37	3.20	18.05	6.96	1.01	4.80	29.48	11.13	-	-	-	-

Forex indices methodology [pdf]

Tools built to enhance your analysis

Pattern recognition scanner

We automatically scan over 120 of our most popular instruments every 15 minutes for emerging and completed chart patterns, such as wedges, channels and head & shoulders formations.

Advanced order execution

We offer a range of advanced order types, including trailing and guaranteed stop-loss orders, partial closure, market and boundary orders, so you have the flexibility to trade your way.

Trade on our award-winning platforms⁵

To trade with us, you choose a CFD account that suits the platform you want to use.

The standard or FXActive CFD accounts provide access to our proprietary and award-winning CMC platform, available on PC and mobile. This account can also be linked to TradingView.

To trade on Metatrader 4 or Metatrader 5, you must create a separate standard or FXActive account.

Read more below about the platforms we offer and find out which one best suits your trading style.

2024 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

Mobile app

The CMC Markets mobile app gives you access to forex markets from your phone or tablet.

Use the app to:

Monitor live prices
Place and manage trades
Access mobile-optimized charts
Set price alerts
Review open positions and account activity

CMC platform

The CMC platform is designed for active traders who want access to charts, watchlists, order tickets, technical indicators, and risk-management features in one place.

Use the platform to:

Monitor forex pairs and other markets
Place and manage CFD trades
Access advanced charting and technical tools
Set alerts and manage watchlists
Review open positions, orders, and account performance
The platform is available on desktop and can be used alongside the CMC mobile app.

Award-winning broker

2024 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

2023 WINNER

No.1 Web Platform

ForexBrokers.com Awards

2023 WINNER

Best In-House Analysts

Professional Trader Awards

FAQs

New to forex index trading?

Is there an index for forex?

How are forex indices weighted?

Are any of your forex indices focused on emerging currencies?

New to CMC Markets?

How does CMC Markets protect my money?

Is CMC Markets regulated?

Is it free to open an account?

How does CMC Markets make money?

What can I trade with CMC Markets?

Do you have any questions?

Our client services team is here whenever the markets are open.
Email us at clientmanagement@cmcmarkets.ca or call us on 1-866-884-2608.

¹Best Mobile Trading Platform, ADVFN International Financial Awards 2024; No.1 Web Platform, ForexBrokers.com Awards 2023; No.1 Most Currency Pairs, ForexBrokers.com Awards 2023; Best Charting (Germany), Investment Trends Leverage Trading Report 2023; Best Customer Service (Germany), Investment Trends Leverage Trading Report 2023; Best In-House Analysts, Professional Trader Awards 2023; No.1 Platform Technology (UK), ForexBrokers.com Awards 2022; Best CFD Provider (UK), Online Money Awards 2022; Industry Pioneer with "Outstanding" Customer Rating (Germany), Focus Money Test Edition 36/2022, "Very good" Trading Platform (Germany), Deutsches Kundeninstitut (DKI) Survey 2022.

²0.009 seconds CFD median trade execution time on CMC Markets' web and mobile platforms, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025.

³Based on over 2 million unique user logins across CMC's trading and investing platforms, including partners, as at November 2025.

More than a forex trading platform

How do forex indices work?

Major forex indices to trade

Forex index details

What are other traders saying about CMC Markets?

How our forex indices are weighted

Trade on forex indices

Tools built to enhance your analysis