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: Is it free to open an account?

There's no cost when opening a live trading account with us. You can also view prices and use tools such as charts, Reuters news or Morningstar quantitative equity reports, free of charge. However, you'll need to deposit funds in your account to place a trade.

Q: Is CMC Markets regulated?

CMC Markets Germany GmbH is a company authorised and regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). CMC Markets complies with the requirements of §84 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) regarding client funds.

Q: How does CMC Markets protect my money?

CMC Markets Germany GmbH is a broker regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). It holds funds of private clients separately from its own funds in separate bank accounts. In the unlikely event that CMC Markets Germany GmbH is unable to meet its financial obligations, the EdW would cover any claim for damages by claimants up to €20,000, provided that certain criteria are met.

Q: How does CMC Markets segregate client money?

Retail client money is kept in separate trust accounts. By keeping retail client money separate from CMC Markets' own funds, it ensures that retail money is not owned and cannot be used by CMC Markets, as it is held on trust for retail clients. Learn more about client money regulations.

Q: How does CMC Markets make money?

Our income primarily comes from our spreads, while other fees, such as overnight holding costs, make a minor contribution to our overall revenue.

Q: What can I trade on with CMC Markets?

You can trade on financial instruments when you trade CFDs with us. Take a look at our popular markets and instruments.

EU regulated

35+ years' expertise

FTSE 250 group

2025 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

2023 WINNER

No.1 Web Platform

ForexBrokers.com Awards

2023 WINNER

Best CFD Provider

Online Money Awards

More than a forex trading platform

We've got your pair

More forex pairs than any other broker¹ 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.

Minimal slippage

Minimise the potential for slippage thanks to our fully automated, ultra-fast execution speed 0.0030².

Exclusive instruments

Get exposure to multiple currencies in a single trade with our range of 12 forex indices.

Dedicated customer service

Experienced customer service available to support you in your trading

No partial fills

All orders are fully executed without dealer intervention, regardless of your trading size.

How do forex indices work?

Our forex indices group together 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.

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

However, it's important to be aware thatå CFDs are high-risk, speculative products. High volatility combined with leverage could lead to significant losses. As with any leveraged product, both profits and losses are magnified as they are based on the full value of your position, not just your initial deposit on a particular trade. While you could make a 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.

View all of our costs

What other traders are saying about CMC Markets

As a financial services pioneer, we‘ve got the expertise allied to over 35 years‘ industry experience. That‘s why 2 million+ global traders and investors put their confidence in us.³

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.

Forex indices methodology [pdf]

Powerful technology you can rely on

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

Standard CFD account provides access to our proprietary and award-winning Next Generation platform, available on PC and mobile. This account can also be linked to TradingView.

To trade on Metatrader 4, you must create a separate MT4 CFD account. This account is only compatible with MT4 and does not provide access to Next Generation or TradingView.

Note: MetaTrader 4 only offers trading in currencies, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

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

2025 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

Mobile app

Get the functionality of our web platform in your pocket with mobile-optimised charting, full order-ticket features and real-time alerts.

Web platform

We've invested over £100m into our award-winning platform⁴, creating pioneering technology that suits all styles of trading.

Open a demo accountMore on our web platform

platform

TradingView

Research with TradingView, trade with us

TradingView

Connect your CMC Markets account to TradingView and trade on its world- renowned charting platform, used by over 90 million traders and investors.

Open an accountLink your account

Award-winning broker

2022 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

2023 WINNER

No.1 Web Platform

ForexBrokers.com Awards

2022 WINNER

Best CFD Provider

Online Money 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?

Is it free to open an account?

Is CMC Markets regulated?

How does CMC Markets protect my money?

How does CMC Markets segregate client money?

How does CMC Markets make money?

What can I trade on with CMC Markets?

Do you have any questions?

Email us at eusupport@cmcmarkets.com or call us on +49 (0) 69 22 22 440 44 (Lines open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday).

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.

²0.0040 seconds CFD and spread bet median trade execution time on CMC Markets' web and mobile platforms, 1 April 2023-31 March 2024.

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 other traders are saying about CMC Markets

How our forex indices are weighted

Trade on forex indices

Powerful technology you can rely on

Mobile app

Web platform

TradingView

Award-winning broker

FAQs

Ready to get started?

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