Markets Review – What to expect from the broker

Markets.com is a long established CFD broker. In 2019 it launched a redesigned in house trading platform called MarketsX, and many traders started using that name for the broker itself. In this review we look at what Markets.com offers, how its platform works and who regulates it.

Markets.com offers CFDs on currencies, shares, indices, commodities, bonds and ETFs. The Markets.com brand is operated by Safecap Investments Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). In our December 2019 test, the spread on EUR/USD was 0.5 pips* and the minimum deposit was $100. The website is available in many languages, including English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Danish and Arabic.

What do we cover in our Markets.com Review?

Basic information about the broker

• Website address: www.markets.com
• Operator: Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC licence 092/08)
• Instruments: CFDs on currencies, shares, indices, commodities, bonds and ETFs
• Minimum deposit: $100 at the time of our test (check the current amount on the broker's website)
• Demo account: Yes, free of charge
• Methods of deposit and withdrawal: Wire transfer, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, credit and debit cards (Visa/Mastercard). Local payment methods are available in some countries.

Markets.com Trading Platform (MarketsX)

Markets.com gives traders access to its own web and mobile platform, originally launched under the name MarketsX. The platform includes tools for both fundamental and technical analysis. For fundamental analysis, the insights tab shows upcoming news events for the selected asset (screenshot no 1), and you can set an email reminder before each event.

For technical analysis, the platform offered around 50 customizable indicators in our test, along with drawing tools such as trend, vertical and horizontal lines, measurement tools and a screenshot function. Time frames range from 1 minute to 1 month.

How to use the Markets.com platform

[caption id="attachment_11166" align="alignleft" width="300"] How to use the Markets.com platform[/caption]

1. To switch between the demo and real account, use the switch button in the bottom left corner.
2. To find the asset you want to trade, use the search box in the top left corner.
3. To see more details (spreads, leverage, overnight funding, technical and fundamental analysis), click the information icon next to the selected asset.

Once you click for more information, a new window will appear.

[caption id="attachment_11167" align="alignright" width="300"] Asset information[/caption]

1. Check the spread on your asset (the difference between the ask and bid price). In our test, the EUR/USD spread was 0.4 pips*.
2. If you plan to hold a trade overnight, check the overnight funding fee. In our test, it was 0.016% for a buy position and 0.0068% for a sell position on EUR/USD*.

*Spread and overnight fee data were recorded on 02.12.2019 at 20:40 GMT. Current conditions may differ, so always check the asset information window before trading.

Available assets at Markets.com

At the time of our test, Markets.com offered over 2,200 CFDs. The exact numbers change over time, so treat the figures below as an indication of the range rather than a current count.

• Currencies: Major pairs like EUR/USD and GBP/USD as well as minor and exotic pairs (67 pairs in our test).
• Shares: Over 1,000 shares from the US, Europe, Australia and Asia, which you can filter by country or by sector (financial, energy, basic materials and more).
• Indices: Around 40 indices, including the Germany 40, UK 100 and USA 500.
• Commodities: Crude oil, gold, platinum, coffee and other energies, metals and soft commodities.
• Bonds: A small selection of government bonds, such as the German 10Y Bund, US 10Y Treasury Note, US 30Y Treasury Bond and UK 10Y Gilt.
• ETFs: Dozens of exchange traded funds, including SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF) and XLF (Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund).

[caption id="attachment_11186" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sorting shares by sector[/caption]

Markets.com Fees (Spreads)

Like most CFD brokers, Markets.com earns mainly through the spread. For current spreads, check the asset information window on the platform or the Markets.com website. The table below compares the spreads we recorded in our test with popular competitors.

Pepperstone**1.01.01.01.0eToro**1.01.02.01.0

*Spreads recorded on 02.12.2019 at 23:15 GMT from the broker's website. **Minimum Spreads recorded on 18.8.2023 at 11:26 GMT from the website of the broker.

Markets.com regulation

Safecap Investments Limited, the operator of the Markets.com brand, is authorised and regulated by the