Contract for Differences (CFD): Overview and Examples

A contract for differences (CFD) is a financial instrument traders use to speculate on prices without owning the underlying asset. When entering into a CFD, an investor and broker agree to exchange the difference between the opening and closing value of the underlying financial product.

By focusing only on price changes rather than asset ownership, CFDs can provide a capital-efficient trading approach. While CFDs are widely available on over-the-counter (OTC) exchanges across Europe, Australia, and Asia, they're prohibited for retail traders in the U.S.

What Is a Contract for Differences (CFD)?

A CFD is an agreement between an investor and a CFD broker to exchange the difference in the value of a financial product between the time the contract opens and closes. Investors use CFDs simply to bet on whether the price of the underlying asset will rise or fall. It's an advanced trading strategy that should be used only by experienced traders.

No physical goods or securities are delivered in a CFD transaction. A CFD investor never owns the underlying asset but is paid based on the price change of that asset. For example, instead of buying or selling physical gold, a trader simply speculates on whether the price of gold will go up or down.

Why Are CFDs Prohibited in the US?

There are several reasons the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has banned CFDs:

• Leverage and risk concerns: CFDs typically offer high leverage, which can amplify both gains and losses. U.S. regulators consider this level of leverage too risky for retail investors, as it can lead to financial losses that greatly exceed the initial capital.
• OTC trading: The SEC prefers financial instruments to be traded on regulated exchanges that provide greater transparency, price discovery, and investor protection.
• Investor protection: The U.S. regulatory framework has historically emphasized investor protection more heavily than other jurisdictions. The SEC views CFDs as simply too complex for average retail investors.
• Existing alternatives: The U.S. already has established markets for futures and options, which offer similar speculative prospects but with greater regulatory oversight and exchange-based trading.
• Limited recourse for investors: Since CFD providers are often located offshore, U.S. investors might have limited legal recourse in case of disputes or broker failures.

Countries Where You Can Trade CFDs

CFDs are traded via OTC markets in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

The Costs of Trading CFDs

Trading CFDs involves several distinct costs that investors should carefully consider before entering positions.

Spread Costs

The primary cost for CFD traders is the spread—the difference between the bid price (selling price) and the ask price (buying price). This difference is an immediate cost, and traders must overcome this gap before generating any profit.

For example, if you buy a CFD at the asking price of $10.05, and the bid price is $10.00, the asset must appreciate by at least $0.05 just to break even.

Commissions

Commission structures vary by market and broker:

• Forex and commodity CFDs typically have no separate commission since the costs are built into the spread.
• Stock CFDs generally incur explicit commissions, often calculated as a percentage of the trade value.

For instance, major brokers like CMC Markets charge commissions that start from $0.02 per share (minimum trade of $10) for U.S.-listed shares. Importantly, opening a position and closing a position count as separate trades, meaning the commission is charged twice for the complete transaction cycle.

Overnight Financing Charges

When holding long positions overnight, traders typically pay financing charges. These fees represent the cost of the leverage provided by the broker—essentially, the interest on the "borrowed" capital used to control a larger position. The calculation usually follows this formula:

Position Size × (Benchmark Interest Rate + Broker Markup) ÷ 365 = Daily Financing Cost

Most brokers use benchmark rates such as SOFR plus a markup. For short positions, traders may receive or pay interest depending on the prevailing rates and broker policies.

Example of a CFD Trade

To illustrate how CFD trading works in practice, let's follow a step-by-step example of a trade.

The Trade Setup

An investor decides to trade CFDs on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) shares with the following parameters:

• Initial exposure: £10,000
• Current GlaxoSmithKline share price: £23.50
• Investor's forecast: Share price will rise to £24.80
• Commission rate: 0.1% on opening and closing positions
• Financing charge: SOFR + 2.5% (calculated at 7.5% annually for this example)
• Position duration: 16 days

Opening the Position

1. The investor purchases: 426 contracts at £23.50 per share
2. Total position value: 426 × £23.50 = £10,011
3. Commission paid upon opening: £10,011 × 0.1% = £10.01 (rounded to £10)

Holding the Position

The investor holds the position for 16 days, incurring daily financing charges:

• Daily financing cost: (426 × £23.50 × 7.5%) ÷ 365 = £2.06 per day
• Total financing cost over 16 days: £2.06 × 16 = £32.92

Closing the Position

After 16 days, the GlaxoSmithKline share price rises to £24.80 as anticipated:

1. Closing position value: 426 × £24.80 = £10,564.80
2. Gross profit (before fees): £10,564.80 - £10,011 = £553.80
3. Commission paid upon closing: £10,564.80 × 0.1% = £10.56 (rounded to £10)

Calculating the Final Result

The investor's net profit calculation:

• Gross profit: £553.80
• Less opening commission: -£10
• Less financing charges: -£32.92
• Less closing commission: -£10
• Net profit: £500.88

What This Example Teaches Us

This example demonstrates several important aspects of CFD trading:

1. The power of leverage: The investor bought exposure to more than £10,000 of shares without needing to buy them outright.
2. The costs add up: Almost 10% of the gross profit went to commissions and financing charges.
3. The importance of the price movement: The 5.5% increase in share price was essential to overcome the trading costs.
4. Time as a crucial factor: Holding periods directly affect financing costs, which can significantly impact profitability.

Risks of Trading CFDs

There are significant risks when trading CFDs, given the rapidity of market moves. There are liquidity risks and margins that traders must maintain. If your CFD's value goes down and you can't maintain the margin requirement, your provider might close you out of your position—and you'll have to meet the loss even if the asset later reverses.

Using leverage can magnify gains but also losses. While you can use stop losses with many CFD providers, that won't protect you from all negative price moves.

The Bottom Line

CFDs offer sophisticated traders a capital-efficient way to speculate on price shifts across global markets without owning underlying assets. While the leverage, market accessibility, and trading flexibility make CFDs attractive to experienced investors seeking diversified exposure, these advantages come with significant risks.

The combination of spread costs, overnight financing charges, limited regulatory protection, and amplified losses through leverage means CFDs are best suited for knowledgeable traders with robust risk management strategies and enough capital to withstand drawdowns. Regulatory bodies worldwide have recognized these risks, with the European Securities and Markets Authority putting more protective measures in place for retail investors and the SEC prohibiting CFD trading for American retail traders entirely.