Multiple Order Types and Execution

Q: What is a stop-loss order?

A stop-loss order is a market order that helps you manage risk by closing your trade at a pre-determined level. It's a risk-management tool that you can attach to your order ticket to help to minimise any loss on your trade. We offer a regular stop-loss order, plus a trailing stop-loss order and a guaranteed stop-loss order. Find out more about these risk-management order types in our FAQs below.

Q: What is a limit-order?

A limit order is a trade order to 'buy' or 'sell' an instrument at a specific price. A buying limit order can only be placed at the market price or lower, while a selling limit order can only be placed at the market value or higher. A limit order helps to give a trader more control as to what price they will pay for an asset, and are placed with an expiration date. A good way to understand limit orders is by placing practice trades with of risk-free virtual funds on our demo account.

Q: What is a market order?

A market order is a buy or sell order for a financial instrument at the current prevailing price level. It's well suited to high-volume trades in particular, as it's considered to be the fastest type of order. A trader will place a market order to pay the immediate bid or ask price.

Q: What is a trade order?

A trade order is a type of order that is placed to open a trade, involving the buying or selling of an instrument at a certain price. The most common trade orders include market orders, limit orders and stop-loss orders.

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 £85,000²

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

Multiple order types

Our range of order types allow flexible order placement, while our risk-management tools are customisable and easy to use. You can set default stop-loss and take-profit orders to manage your risk on every trade. It's important to be aware that most stop-order types – except guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLOs) – are susceptible to the possibility of market slippage and gapping.

Guaranteed stop-loss orders

For a premium, our GSLOs give you 100% certainty that your stop-loss will be executed at the exact price you want, regardless of market volatility or gapping. We refund the premium if the GSLO is not triggered.

Market orders

Use market orders to open or close trades at the current market price. Our automated execution means market orders get filled at the next available price.

Limit and stop entry orders

Limit orders and stop-entry orders are used to trigger a trade execution at a specific price above or below the current market price, and within a set time period.

Partially close trades

It's possible to close only a portion of existing trades. For example, if you have four CFD trades of 2 units each on the UK 100, you can choose to close out one part (2 units), leaving the other three trades in place.

Stop-loss orders

Stop-loss orders allow you to specify a price at which a position will be closed out by the platform, if the market moves against you.

Trailing stop-loss orders

A trailing stop-loss will follow a price as it moves favourably for you, remaining at the distance specified when the order was placed.

Take-profit orders

Take profit orders are used to set a predetermined target level at which you would like the platform to close a trade and secure the profit from that trade.

Advanced order features

The platform includes a range of advanced order features that facilitate control, flexibility and customisation on your orders and trade execution.

Trade from charts

Open, close and amend orders directly from charts and view levels against historical price action. Once a position has been opened, select the triangular trade entry icon on the chart and drag stop-loss and take-profit levels to change them.

One-click trading allows you to place trades immediately by choosing any streaming buy or sell price. Your usual default risk management and order settings will be applied automatically.

Use boundary orders in volatile markets

Control slippage in volatile markets by specifying a boundary price range in the order ticket. If the price at execution is outside this range, then the order will be rejected. Available on market and stop-entry orders.

Price ladder trading for large orders

Our price ladder displays prices for trades that are larger than what's available at the first bid and offer price. It lets you enter trades which you otherwise wouldn't be able to enter, with just one order, but with a wider spread.

Our automated trade execution ensures that positions up to our maximum trade size will always be executed through price ladder trading.

Trade using unrealised profit

If a trade is in profit, you can use this unrealised profit to open new trades, thus taking advantage of other opportunities without having to close profitable trades.

Pre-set order preferences

Set default order preferences for all, or specific instruments. You can turn off pre-order confirmations and set last trade size, stop-loss and take-profit orders as default.

Rollover discount on forwards

When you manually roll a forward to the next contract, you enter the new trade at the mid-price and save 50% on the spread cost. You can also set forward settlement behaviour to automatically roll over, so the rule is applied to all your forward positions.

Go long and short simultaneously

With account netting disabled (via 'Account Settings'), it's possible to place long and short trades on the same product at the same time.

Execution alerts

Set up alerts to notify you when important price levels are breached, or when your pending orders are triggered. Receive platform pop-ups and set alerts to be emailed, sent by SMS, or pushed to your mobile device.

Via email, SMS or push

Get trade execution alerts, including mobile push notifications, when pending orders (such as stop-entry, limit, stop-loss or take-profit orders) are executed in your account.

To complement execution alerts, we also offer price alerts. These enable you to receive notifications when the price of an instrument that you're interested in reaches a significant level you've specified, such as a major support or resistance level.

What do our customers say about trading with us?

Discover why 2 million+ global traders and investors choose 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,22 October

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,22 October

Account close-out

You can choose your preferred account close-out method⁴ in the platform to automatically close out your trades if your account revaluation amount (cash + net unrealised profit/loss) falls below your close-out level. Change your close-out method from the account settings menu on the platform.

Complete close-out

This is the default setting, where all trades on your account are closed out.⁵

Last trade in, first out

This option will start by closing your most recent trade first, or a portion of it. Then the next most recent trade will be reduced or closed if necessary, and so on.

Largest position loss first

This option will start by closing the position showing the largest unrealised loss first, or portions of it, on a first in, first out basis.

Largest position margin first

This option will first close the position with the largest position margin, or portions of it, on a first in, first out basis.

FAQs

New to order execution?

What is a stop-loss order?

What is a limit-order?

What is a market order?

What is a trade order?

New to CMC Invest?

Is it free to open an account?

Is CMC Markets regulated?

Is CMC Markets covered by the FSCS?

How does CMC Markets segregate client money?

How does CMC Markets make money?

Any questions?

Email us at

clientmanagement@cmcmarkets.co.uk

or call on +44 (0)20 7170 8200

We're available whenever the markets are open, from Sunday night through to Friday night.

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

²XX

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

⁴If at account close-out you have an open position in a product that is greater than the maximum CFD margin trade size in that product, then the account close-out will be performed on a 'last in, first out' basis, irrespective of which account close-out method has been selected.

⁵Each of the account close-out methodologies is applied to our products within their applicable trading hours and where trading is not otherwise suspended. After any initial account close-out, as and when the trading hours for any remaining positions on your account recommence and/or remaining positions on your account cease to be suspended, one or more subsequent account close-outs may be carried out. Trades relating to the same product may be aggregated by our platform during an account close-out, in which case each relevant trade will be closed at the relevant sell price or buy price on the price ladder, applicable to a market order for the aggregated number of units. Each initial alternative close-out or subsequent alternative close-out will attempt to increase your account revaluation amount above the reset level. (The reset level is a percentage of your total margin displayed on the platform at any given time.) If, following the completion of any initial alternative close-out or subsequent alternative close-out, your account revaluation amount increases above the close-out level, then the alternative account close-out will stop.