What are the costs involved in share basket trading?

There are a number of costs to consider when trading on share baskets, including spread costs, holding costs (for trades held overnight) and guaranteed stop-loss order charges (if you use this risk-management tool). Learn more about our costs

How does spread betting/trading CFDs on share baskets work?

When you spread bet or trade CFDs on share baskets through our platform, you don't buy or sell the underlying shares. Instead, you're taking a position on whether you think the instrument's price will go up or down. With spread betting, you buy or sell an amount per point movement for the instrument you're trading, such as £5 per point. This is known as your stake. With CFD trading, you buy or sell a number of units for a particular instrument. For every point or unit that the price moves in your favour, you gain multiples of your stake.

What is the tiered weight methodology for share baskets?

You can find all the information about how our share baskets are created in our share baskets methodology. View our share baskets methodology

What are the risks of share basket trading?

You can lose all of your capital – leveraged trading means that both profits and losses are based on the full value of the position. Risk of account close-out – market volatility and rapid changes in price can cause the balance of your account to change quickly, and if you don’t have sufficient funds in your account to cover these situations, there is a risk that your positions will be automatically closed by the platform. Market volatility and gapping – financial markets may fluctuate rapidly, which can result in market gapping. This may mean that stop-loss orders are executed at unfavourable prices. Sector risk – it's possible that the shares of many companies in the same sector will fall in price at the same time, due to an event that impacts the industry as a whole.

Share Baskets Trading | Spread Betting & CFDs

Q: Is it free to open an account?

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

Q: Is CMC Markets regulated?

Yes, CMC Markets UK plc (registration number 173730) is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Retail client money is held in segregated client bank accounts and money held on behalf of clients is distributed across a range of major banks, which are regularly assessed against our risk criteria.

Q: Is CMC Markets covered by the FSCS?

Yes, your eligible deposits with CMC Markets are protected up to a total of by the Financial Services Compensations Scheme (FSCS), the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. If CMC Markets ever went into liquidation, retail clients would have their share of segregated money returned, minus the administrator's costs in handling and distributing these funds. Any shortfall of funds up to may be compensated under the FSCS.

Q: How does CMC Markets segregate client money?

Under the FCA's Client Money rules, we're required to segregate client money (unless you agree with us otherwise) from CMC's own funds. The funds held in segregated bank accounts do not belong to CMC, and will be held in a way that enables it to be identified as client money. Learn more about client money regulations

Q: How does CMC Markets make money?

CMC Markets earns revenue through spreads and other applicable fees and charges. The fees and charges that apply may vary depending on the product and account type.

Financial Conduct Authority regulated

Protected up to £85,000¹

FTSE 250 group

2026 WINNER

Best Spread Betting Broker

Good Money Guide Awards 2026

2025 WINNER

Best Mobile Trading Platform

ADVFN International Financial Awards

2025 WINNER

No.1 Commissions & Fees

ForexBrokers.com Awards

What are share baskets?

Share baskets are mini portfolios of stocks built around popular themes and growing trends, with constituent stocks handpicked by our traders and analysts to give you maximum exposure to those themes from a single position.

These include our BATMMAAN, Software as a Service, and US Semiconductors baskets, which provide bespoke portfolios for investing in technology trends such as the AI revolution, as well as Space Exploration, and Weight Loss & Personal Health, which focus on industry leaders innovating in burgeoning markets.

Pick your share basket:

5G

US NDAQ 100

Why trade share baskets with us?

Spread bet or trade CFDs on our exclusive share baskets – mini portfolios of stocks built around a specific theme.

Your favourites in one place

Our traders and analysts have identified current and emerging trends driving the economy, and the companies potentially well-placed within each industry.

Lower risk

Share baskets give you broad exposure to a theme, avoiding the risk of putting all of your eggs in one basket when you trade on a single company.

One position

Share baskets allow you to gain exposure to a theme without opening and maintaining multiple positions, potentially saving you time and money.

Leveraged trading

We offer up to 5:1 leverage on share baskets. This means for every £1, you'll have £5 of exposure.

Low cost

Trade commission-free with reduced holding costs and exposure to some of the highest-performance companies in the world.

Holding costs (annual)

SHARE BASKETS (BUY) = 1.9%

UK 100 (BUY) = 8.19%

What do our customers say about trading with us?

Discover why 2 million+ global traders and investors choose us.²

Prefect dataPrefect dataKhalil,12 hours ago

Good simple to use appGood simple to use appDIPA LAKHMAN,20 hours ago

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,yesterday

Enjoying the demo facilityEnjoying the demo facility. Allows you to experiment with strategies.Gavin Hatchett,2 days ago

Intuitive to get started and useIntuitive to get started and use, Carl F,4 days ago

trading system is okaytrading system is okayCindy,4 days ago

Everything worksEverything works, professional-looking interface which is intuitive and easy to use. Andrej Močan,5 days ago

I’ve had a very positive experience…I’ve had a very positive experience with CMC Markets. The platform is straightforward and easy to use, with useful trading tools and clear pricing. I’ve also found the customer service team to be helpful and responsive. Overall, I’m very happy with the service and would recommend CMC Markets.Yin Liu,6 days ago

Great platformGreat platformJames Taylor,7 days ago

Quick response and reported price…Quick response and reported price actions , easy on the eye on the phone darren stewart,16 October

How we build our share baskets

Step 1

Trend identification

Firstly, our analysts research and select existing and emerging trends driving the economy, such as AI, space exploration, or weight loss and personal health.

STEP 2

Impact analysis

Then, they examine the data to determine the companies they believe are best positioned to benefit from these trends, varying their weighting in the index based on their exposure.

Step 3

Basket formation

Finally, we group the top companies into baskets, which operate in a similar way to an index such as the FTSE 100, giving you broad exposure to an industry.