CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% 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. 74% 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 • 9 minute(s)
What Is Commodity Trading? How It Works and How to Start
Commodity trading is the buying and selling of standardised raw materials through financial derivatives or exchange-traded instruments without taking physical delivery of the underlying assets. The global commodities market sees trillions of dollars in daily trading volume, providing essential liquidity for producers hedging physical output. Investors use these markets to navigate macroeconomic shifts, combat inflation, and capitalise on geopolitical supply constraints. This guide breaks down the essential asset classes, market mechanisms, and risk management tools required to start navigating global resource markets effectively. Key Takeaways Commodity trading involves exchanging contract rights to raw materials rather than handling the physical goods. The market divides assets into hard commodities like gold and crude oil, and soft commodities like agricultural crops and livestock. Traders utilise tools like contracts for difference (CFDs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to hedge against inflation and diversify traditional equity portfolios. The global commodities have an estimated nominal value of almost $135.5 trillion according to the Bank of International Settlements, and the United States is the largest market, capturing accounting for $62.75 trillion
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Reading time • 9 minute(s)
Gold as an Investment: Is It Still Worth It in 2026?
Gold has long been considered one of the most reliable stores of value - a hedge against inflation, currency devaluation, and economic uncertainty. For many investors, it is not about getting rich quickly, but about protecting what they have already built. But the full picture is more complicated than that. Gold can be highly volatile in the short term, generates no income, and has historically underperformed equities over long bull markets. Whether it belongs in your portfolio depends on factors that no single headline can address. By the end of this article, you will have a clearer framework for making that decision yourself. The key information to consider when answering the question "is gold a good investment in 2026" includes:
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Reading time • 8 minute(s)
How to Invest in Gold: 4 Methods Explained and Compared
Investors can choose from four primary methods to gain exposure to precious metals: physical gold, gold ETFs and ETCs, mining stocks, and CFDs on gold. Each option provides a distinct way to access the gold price, allowing you to align your strategy with your specific time horizon, risk appetite, and available capital. Gold typically plays a strategic role in diversified portfolios, with its primary function being to preserve purchasing power over time and provide long-term protection against inflation. Gold has surged past $4,000 per ounce for the first time in history, marking a remarkable 50% gain year-to-date, its strongest performance since 1979. The rally accelerated in August following the Federal Reserve’s dovish policy shift and new U.S. trade tariffs, with the ongoing government shutdown further intensifying market momentum.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
The WTI and Brent Divide: How Two Oils Shape Global Energy Markets
Brent and WTI are the two main crude oil benchmarks, and the divide between them helps explain how global and North American oil prices are formed, why they sometimes differ, and why both matter for energy markets. While both represent light crude oil, Brent reflects globally traded seaborne supply, whereas WTI is tied more closely to North American production and infrastructure. This distinction explains why their prices do not always move in the same way, even when broader oil market conditions are similar. Understanding how they function provides a foundation for interpreting energy markets and the instruments linked to them.
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Reading time • 13 minute(s)
The World's Largest Oil Producers: Countries and Companies Shaping Global Supply
The United States is the world's largest oil producer, pumping more crude than any other nation on Earth. With global energy markets shaped by a handful of dominant players, understanding who produces the most oil - and which companies sit behind that output - is essential context for any investor watching commodity markets. Below, we break down the top oil-producing countries and the biggest oil companies driving global supply.
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Reading time • 5 minute(s)
Iran-US Ceasefire Under Strain: Why Oil Prices Are Rising Again as Tensions Flare
Oil prices are climbing again after President Trump said the US-Iran ceasefire is "over," following retaliatory US strikes on Tuesday night after attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude has jumped more than 6% this morning and is trading back above $78 a barrel, reversing much of the recent slide toward pre-war levels. While the initial announcement triggered one of the sharpest single-day moves in recent years — sending oil sharply lower and global equities higher — sentiment has since become more cautious. Oil has rebounded above $100 as supply disruptions persist and negotiations stall, highlighting how fragile the initial market reaction has been. Here’s what happened, how markets responded, and what traders are watching next. While the initial announcement triggered one of the sharpest single-day moves in recent years — sending oil sharply lower and global equities higher — markets have since stabilised, with investors now focused on whether the ceasefire will hold and what comes next. Here's what happened, how markets responded, and what traders are watching as the situation develops. Update (29 April 2026): Market sentiment has shifted in recent sessions, with oil rebounding and equities showing more mixed performance as uncertainty around negotiations persists.
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Reading time • 4 minute(s)
Which World Cup Nation Has the Strongest Economy?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup brings together 48 nations spanning six continents and between them, they represent some of the world's most powerful, fastest-growing, and most intriguing economies. Beyond football, the tournament offers a useful lens through which to examine global economic diversity: host nations investing billions in infrastructure, emerging markets showcasing their potential, and established superpowers asserting their commercial dominance. So which World Cup nation has the strongest economy? The answer depends on how you measure it, but here is a breakdown of the key contenders.Starting a quarterly audit
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Reading time • 7 minute(s)
Should You Invest in Silver? What UK Investors Need to Know
Silver is often seen as gold’s quieter cousin, but from an investor’s perspective it plays a very different role. This article explains what silver represents as an investment asset, why it attracts investor attention, and what drives its price over time. You’ll learn how silver is commonly viewed in portfolios, what risks are involved, and what beginners should understand before deciding whether silver is right for them.
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Reading time • 9 minute(s)
What Affects Gold Prices? 6 Key Factors Explained
Gold prices are shaped by six main forces: economic uncertainty, inflation, real interest rates, central bank demand, physical consumption, and investment flows. No single factor explains every move, because gold usually reacts to several market forces at once. This means there is rarely one simple answer to what affects gold prices, because the same price move can reflect both defensive demand and changing expectations about currencies, rates, or global risk. Understanding these six forces helps explain what drives the price of gold without treating gold as a guaranteed hedge or an investment recommendation.
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Reading time • 3 minute(s)
Oil Investing Guide: Stocks, ETFs & CFDs 2026
Oil remains one of the most influential commodities in global financial markets. From powering economies to driving inflation, crude oil prices impact everything from transportation to energy stocks. For traders and investors using platforms like XTB, oil presents multiple opportunities through stocks, ETFs, and CFDs. This guide explores how oil investing works, what instruments XTB offers, and how to build exposure using oil-based assets.
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Reading time • 6 minute(s)
How to Invest in Oil in 2026
Crude oil remains one of the most important and volatile assets in global financial markets. In 2026, oil prices are being driven not just by supply and demand - but by geopolitics, electrification trends, and structural shifts in the global energy system. With the ongoing Iran-Israel-US conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, combined with long-term changes highlighted in the latest International Energy Agency report, understanding oil has never been more critical.
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Reading time • 15 minute(s)
The Israel-Iran conflict explained and its effect on the global markets
In the early hours of June 13 the long-simmering tension between Israel and Iran escalated dramatically, triggering not only a military standoff but also a wave of volatility across global financial markets.
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Reading time • 26 minute(s)
Gold Trading: A Beginner's Guide
Cultural backgrounds recognise gold as a safe investment by many people around the world – even those who do not deal with the financial markets in terms of supply and demand for gold or price movements. Gold historically is seen as an asset that maintains its value despite economic uncertainty or price fluctuations due to its unique properties. Investing in gold has always been an attractive option for investors looking to diversify their portfolios, hedge against inflation, or simply enjoy the beauty, value of gold and prestige of owning gold as a physical commodity. Today, technological advances have created various ways and gold options to invest in the precious metal - even from the palm of your hand. In this article you will learn how to buy and trade gold, how to trade gold CFDs and what is the best time to choose to start trading gold.
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Reading time • 5 minute(s)
The Outlook for Commodities in the Second Half of 2024
The commodity market has had a mixed year. After rallying strongly in the first few months of the year, as the months have progressed commodities and some raw materials have given back most of these gains. For example, Brent crude oil is higher by just under 3% YTD, however, it is down nearly 10% in the last three months. The price of copper reached a record high close to $11,000 per tonne in mid-May, however, it is now trading at just over $9,000 per tonne. The weakness across the commodity landscape is down to various factors including macroeconomic fundamentals as well as supply and demand factors.
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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 • 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 • 9 minute(s)
Brent Crude Oil: The mesmerising world of this black gold bonanza!
In the world of commodities, there's one slick superstar that's been quietly dominating the stage for decades. It's not a celebrity you'd recognise on the red carpet, nor does it have a fan club on Instagram. Yet, it's the lifeblood of the modern world, powering our vehicles, heating our homes, and even influencing the price of that delightful avocado toast you had for brunch. Meet Brent Crude Oil - the unsung hero of slippery slopes and the diva of drilling. Brent Crude has a fascinating story that's as wild as an oil-soaked roller coaster. Before we dive into everything there is to know about Brent Crude oil it is important to note that oil prices have gone up by roughly 2% amid Middle East Tension and will continue to fluctuate in the coming weeks.
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Reading time • 14 minute(s)
Gas Trading - How to Invest in Natural Gas
The ecological alternative fossil fuel is back in favour of investors and you can start trading Natural Gas now! Get interested in the growing NATGAS market and learn more about popular ways of investing in commodities.
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Reading time • 8 minute(s)
Oil Trading – How to Invest in Oil
Crude Oil is recognised as the No.1 commodity in the world. In this article you will learn how to trade crude oil via CFDs.
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Reading time • 11 minute(s)
Silver Trading - How to Start Silver Trading Online
Thousands of years of history, hundreds of practical applications in the industry and unique investment value. Find the details of trading and silver investments in this short and comprehensive article.
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