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CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Educational Articles

Knowledge Base

Reading time • 3 minute(s)
The Importance of Maintaining a Presence in the Financial Markets All Year Round
Summer is a time for vacations, barbeques, and enjoying some well-deserved downtime. But whilst doing all the above, maintaining a consistent presence in the financial markets throughout the year, including during the summer months, is crucial for investors. Here's why it's important to stay engaged with the markets year-round.
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Reading time • 2 minute(s)
Building Balance: How to Diversify Your Portfolio with XTB
The key to a healthy investment strategy lies in diversification. By spreading your holdings across various asset classes, you reduce risk and improve your portfolio's resilience in volatile markets. XTB, with its diverse offerings, empowers you to create a well-rounded portfolio tailored to your financial goals. Here's how you can leverage XTB's platform to achieve effective diversification. XTB offers over 5,600 instruments to help you build a diversified portfolio, including stocks, ETFs, investment plans and other assets. Let's explore how you can utilise these to your advantage:
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Reading time • 1 minute(s)
Staying in Control of Your Investments
When you're an active investor, it can be challenging to monitor your portfolio 24/7. Unexpected market movements can happen at any time, and you need a way to stay informed and react quickly, even when you're not glued to your trading platform. Fortunately, XTB offers two powerful tools to help you maintain control over your investments - price alerts and stop loss orders.
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Reading time • 10 minute(s)
Best ETFs to Look Out For
Out of the hundreds, available ETFs, every investor wants to choose the one that will bring the highest return in the future. However, we cannot predict the future. In assessing the 'quality' of the ETF funds we choose, we can look at some basic information that will tell us more about the costs involved and, most importantly, whether they truly reflect the return of the asset, sector or index they track. In the following article, we will consider what ETFS to look out for. ETFs are mainly aimed at long-term investors looking for ways to diversify their portfolios, which can save time analysing each listed company individually. Speaking of 'best' funds, the article will refer to those whose broadly defined quality is high. This, of course, does not prejudge future returns. Without a doubt, the very popular ETFs are those offering exposure to the U.S. stock market and indexes like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100, although funds for emerging market economies or precious metals are also popular. Exchange traded funds (ETFs) make diversified exposure to global financial markets possible, without searching and buying hundreds or a thousand of stocks. From the precious metal, stocks of major companies around the globe, to bonds and emerging markets. Who has ever heard about bull market cycles, technology stock rallies or precious metals investments? Thanks to ETFs, investing gained popularity. However, in this article, we will learn more about how to select a high quality ETF, and we will present you with a few.
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Reading time • 14 minute(s)
Climate change investments: Maximising impact
The world is moving forward, and high economic development continues to generate significant levels of carbon emissions. The Earth's climate is changing, and restoring a sustainable environment will help humanity achieve long-term growth without disrupting the planet's ecosystem and the risks that supply behind its damage. A very important “green economy” trend has been hatched as a response to rapid climate change. However, it cannot happen without trillions of dollars worth of investment from the private sector. Climate change creates powerful opportunities for companies that get given the ability to create successful business models based on the new green trend. Investors who choose to invest in this change can expect long-term returns and a positive impact on planet Earth. Of course, this cannot take place without the risks that always accompany investments. How to invest and, above all, how to understand the trend of investing in climate change? From electric cars to investments in uranium miners to investments in water. Examine how renewable energy, sustainable transport, and carbon reduction technologies can align your investments with environmental sustainability and potential growth. Read this article to know how to benefit and impact from climate change investments.
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Reading time • 3 minute(s)
Utilities, Homebuilders, Healthcare & Tech firms: Stocks To Look Out For ahead of the UK General Election
We recently highlighted several stocks that could be worth watching as the general election approaches. Now, with the election drawing nearer, let's take a look at how some of those stocks have been performing over the past month in the lead-up to the big day.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
Poll Shows Public More Confident in Labour's Ability to Tackle Economy and the Stock market
The UK is soon approaching July 4, making the pound rally ahead of election day. Labour is still on track to win 40%, with the conservatives on 20% and Reform on 17%. This election is incredibly significant as it could end 14 years of the Conservatives ruling, meaning this would be Labour's biggest win since Tony Blair's 1997 landslide.
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Reading time • 11 minute(s)
How to Invest in Bonds: Strategies for passive income
Looking to diversify your investments or find a stable income source? Learning how to invest in bonds could be the answer. Our guide cuts through the jargon to give you a clear path to purchasing bonds, investing in bond ETFs, understanding their returns, and integrating them into your financial strategy. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or new to the scene, we have the insights and tools you need to navigate the bond market with confidence.
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Reading time • 17 minute(s)
UK General Election 2024: What Investors Need to Know
As anticipated by many on July 4, 2024, the United Kingdom will hold a general election. This election will involve voters across the UK selecting Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them in the House of Commons​. The election is significant as it will be contested under new constituency boundaries established by the 2023 boundary review. These changes are expected to impact the distribution of seats, with some regions gaining and others losing seats based on population shifts​. This general election comes as part of the regular democratic process, and it will follow the dissolution of Parliament on May 30, 2024, leading to a 25-working-day campaign period​. With the UK less than six weeks away from the General Election, Keir Starmer’s Labour is leading ahead, after 14 years of the Tories ruling. Will this election be different and can it shake things up? This article is updated every few days to bring you the latest news and analysis concerning the latest UK election.
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Reading time • 3 minute(s)
The Bond Rating System: A Key to Understanding Credit Risk
Bond ratings are a crucial aspect of the fixed-income investment world. They act as a shorthand for the creditworthiness of a bond, essentially telling you how likely it is that the issuer will repay the borrowed money (principal) along with interest.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
Understanding Contango and Backwardation: Key Concepts in Commodity Futures Markets
In the world of commodity trading, the terms "contango" and "backwardation" are of paramount importance. These two market conditions describe the relationship between spot prices and futures prices, and they can have a profound impact on the profitability of trading strategies and investment vehicles tied to commodity futures. Understanding these market conditions is crucial for commodity traders, investors in futures-based products (like exchange-traded funds), and anyone involved in the physical trading or storage of commodities. Contango can erode the returns of long futures positions due to the need to continually roll contracts at higher prices, while backwardation can provide a tailwind for these investments.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
The influence of politics on investing
Investors often face a complex landscape when it comes to navigating the intersection of politics and investing. Political decisions and policy changes can have significant effects on the economy, industries, and individual stocks. Irrespective of your views on politics, this general election will be one to keep an eye on for the avid trader. History knows that a lot of the sharpest moves in financial markets were caused by political rather than economic events. There’s a direct link between politics and the economy, so it’s not a big surprise that politics can have a significant impact on financial markets. But how does this happen and why? An election can have a large impact on the financial markets. Elections can be viewed by traders as an isolated case of potential political instability and uncertainty, which can lead to greater volatility on the stock exchange.
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Reading time • 10 minute(s)
ETF Investment Strategy: Maximising profits and limiting risk
The world of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) is vast and diverse and with the right strategy and gaining-knowledge approach, it can provide a lot of investment opportunities. Achieving financial goals through ETFs hinges on a well-crafted investment strategy. This article demystifies ETF selection and asset allocation, providing you with actionable insights to fine-tune your approach. Maybe after reading it, you will be ready to build or enhance your own ETF investment strategy? Let’s start and learn about ETF investment strategies.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
Are Tech Stocks in a Bubble?
A stock market bubble is characterised by a rapid escalation of the price of a stock or group of stocks over a period of time. Prices tend to rise well above the intrinsic value of the stock and eventually the bubble will pop. When that happens, stock prices tend to unwind very quickly, wiping out investors in their wake. There have been plenty of examples of stock market bubbles throughout history, including bubbles in tulips, tech stocks, in real estate and even in crypto currencies.
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Reading time • 12 minute(s)
Energy Trading - How to invest in electricity & power?
Markets did not expect increased geopolitical tensions, deglobalisation trends, problems in supply chains and inflation to change sentiment toward energy companies. The global trend toward zero-carbon and green energy sources has also become an additional driver of positive change for the energy sector. The global energy crisis is not just rising gas or electricity prices driving inflation. It's also changing revenue expectations for companies operating in the market, from electricity or LNG suppliers to uranium producers to electric car companies. In this article below, we will identify ways, listed companies and financial instruments that can respond to improving sentiment toward the energy industry. We will answer the question: how to invest in electricity and power?
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Reading time • 4 minute(s)
ETFs: A complete guide to choosing the best
ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are increasingly popular investment instruments that offer investors an easy and efficient way to diversify their portfolio. In this article, we'll explore what exactly an ETF is and how it works. We'll also provide a step-by-step guide on how to choose the best ETFs for your investment needs.
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Reading time • 4 minute(s)
Cocoa could become a new luxury good - What’s driving the price surge?
Cocoa prices have seen a pre-Easter rally driven by fears of supply decline! Last week, cocoa gained 5.4%, reaching new record levels. At present, cocoa prices have skyrocketed, reaching a record high of over $10,000 per tonne. This surge is likely to cause chocolate prices to increase, including Easter eggs next year. Consumers with a sweet tooth can expect to feel the impact at the checkout.
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Reading time • 75 minute(s)
UK Interest Rates: Projections over the Next Five Years | BoE Analysis
What's the latest 2025 UK Interest Rate forecast for the next 5 years? When is the next interest rate decision in the UK? When will UK Interest Rates go down and how many rate cuts are forecast for 2025? There’s been a dramatic change to UK interest rates over the last year, with the Bank of England moving to cut UK rates from a peak of 5.25% in 2023 to 4.5% in February 2025, with more rate cuts expected in 2025. A slowdown in UK Inflation since 2023 has given the UK central bank headroom to cut rates but with inflation reigniting at the start of 2025, this could force the BoE to pause their current rate cutting path.. We analyse the economic context, BoE's policy stance, and global factors to provide insights on the forecast for UK interest rates. Learn what it means for borrowers, savers, and investors.
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Reading time • 9 minute(s)
Can Reddit Win the Internet and the Stock Market? Reddit’s IPO Journey Explained
In the vast landscape of the internet, few platforms have left as indelible a mark on online culture as Reddit. What began as a humble experiment in 2005, has since blossomed into a global powerhouse of discourse, entertainment, and community engagement. Reddit's journey from a simple link-sharing forum to a dynamic network of diverse communities — each with its own distinct identity and fervent following — mirrors the evolution of internet culture itself. Considering Investing in Reddit's IPO? In this article, we delve into its history, pivotal moments, and enduring impact of Reddit, exploring how it has shaped internet culture and influenced the way we connect, share, and interact online. Reddit's recent IPO has sparked investor interest. To help you decide if it's a good fit for your portfolio, let's explore some key details about the company.
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Reading time • 2 minute(s)
A guide to leveraging your stocklist
As we are all aware in the fast-paced world of finance, information is power and making timely decisions is crucial. A well-maintained stock watchlist can be a goldmine for investors and traders. A watchlist is essentially a curated list of stocks that an investor monitors closely, either due to existing investments or potential future opportunities. However, merely creating a watchlist isn’t enough; knowing how to effectively utilise it is key to maximising its potential. In this article we discuss how to create a watchlist and how to maintain it.
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