Founded in 1989 and listed on the London Stock Exchange
(LSE), CMC Markets leverages more than 30 years of experience as a leading
global CFD and stockbroking powerhouse to deliver exceptional value to traders
and investors in Australia. Under a regulatory license granted by the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the broker offers its users
access to more than 9,500 financial instruments including foreign exchange
pairs, commodities, indices, shares, ETFs, treasuries, and cryptocurrencies.
Users from Australia gain access to stocks and other
tradable assets from all over the world, including Canada, the US, the UK, and
Japan. It also offers advanced trading support in the form of research from
Morningstar. Additionally, the broker offers a host of tools designed to
prepare users to thrive in fast-paced global financial markets.
Beyond the tools of the trade, CMC Markets is focused on
making its resources accessible and lowering the barriers to entry with no
minimum deposit required to trade on its platform. Similarly, there is no
minimum withdrawal. All customer funds are stored in segregated accounts,
thereby providing an extra layer of security. Furthermore, all customer
accounts are fully insured by CMC Markets.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Extraordinary Breadth Of Assets
- Multiple Cutting Edge Trading Platforms
- Excellent Research Material & Live News Feeds
- Valuable Rebates For High-Volume Traders
- No Minimum Deposit
Cons
- Slightly Complicated Fee Structure
- Limited Funding Methods
Recommended For
CMC Markets comes highly recommended for advanced traders who wish to gain access to a wide range of tradable assets via its market-making approach. The breadth of financial instruments offered by CMC Markets is outstanding, thereby ensuring that advanced traders can build diversified portfolios while also benefiting from advanced risk management tools.
Besides, the broker is also suitable for beginners seeking to accumulate more knowledge. The absence of a minimum deposit needed to join the platform along with the research support and educational resources provided ensure that novices can learn the nuances of investing without having to seek training materials elsewhere.
Top Features
- Excellent Trading Support: CMC Markets grants users to access a wide range of research materials. A tie-up with Morningstar provides users with the latest research reports related to numerous assets. This research effort is complemented by an excellent knowledge base that can help traders build their acumen and improve their decision-making.
- Impressive Asset Offerings: With more than 9500 tradable assets available from the platform including foreign exchange pairs, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, ETFs, treasures, and cryptocurrencies, there is an asset class available to match every trader’s preferences, strategy, and style.
- Emphasis On Customer Service: The broker places great emphasis on customer service. CMC Markets’ customer service team is available 24/5 and provides customer support in a wide range of languages. The team is extremely responsive and swiftly resolves customer queries.
- No Minimum Deposit: Another excellent feature offered by CMC Markets is that the broker does not require its users to comply with any minimum deposit requirements. This feature means that anyone can start trading on the platform. Furthermore, there is no minimum withdrawal either, which means that you can withdraw your earnings at any stage.
Overview
- Type of Broker Non-Advisory/Executionary Broker (Market Maker)
- Regulation & Licensing Australian Securities and Investments Commission
- Clients Accepted from Australia
- Assets Offered Foreign Exchange, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, Cryptocurrencies, Treasuries, Options, Warrants, Countdowns, mFunds, Managed Funds
- Platforms Available MetaTrader 4, Next Generation Platform, Stockbroking Standard Platform, Stockbroking Pro Platform, CFD Web Platform, CFD Mobile App, Stockbroking Mobile App
- Mobile Compatibility Android, iOS
- Payment Types Accepted Credit Card, Debit Card, Bank Transfer
Account Types
|
Features |
Stockbroking Account |
CFD Account |
|
Account Currencies |
GBP, EUR, USD, AUS, CAD, NOK, NZD, PLN, SEK, SGD |
GBP, EUR, USD, AUS, CAD, NOK, NZD, PLN, SEK, SGD |
|
Available Leverage |
Up to 500:1 |
Up to 500:1 |
|
Minimum Deposit |
A$0 |
A$0 |
|
Starting Spreads |
0.7 pips |
0.3 pips |
|
Commission Per Trade |
$0 for US, UK, Canadian, and Japanese-listed shares, start from whichever is greater of A$9.90 or 0.075% for Australian and other international listed shares |
Varies by geographical listing, starts from as low as €5 per trade for European shares, |
|
Decimal Pricing |
Up to 3 |
Up to 5 |
|
Trading Instruments |
Shares Options mFunds Warrants ETFs Bonds Interest Rate Securities LICs Managed Funds IPOs & Placements
|
Foreign Exchange Commodities Indices Shares Cryptocurrencies Treasuries |
|
Min. Lot Size Per Trade |
0.01 |
0.01 |
|
Max Lot Size Per Trade |
No maximum |
No maximum |
|
Demo Account |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Swap/Rollover Free |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Copy Trading Support |
No |
No |
Compliance & Regulation
To ensure the best experience, the broker is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Further, CMC Markets Stockbroking Limited is a participant of the ASX Group (Australian Securities Exchange), the SSX (Sydney Stock Exchange), and the Chi-X Australia Exchange. Accordingly, it is fully compliant with all the regulations laid down by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Additionally, the broker also offers advanced risk management features to its users. For instance, it offers guaranteed stop-loss orders (GSLOs) in exchange for a premium. This premium is refunded in full if the GSLO is not triggered. To ensure full transparency for users, CMC Markets also highlights that it only uses its proprietary funds for hedging purposes.
Pricing
CMC Markets offers a competitive pricing schedule that varies based on the client’s trading preferences, account type, and asset class. Spreads are fairly tight across the board and start from 0.3 pips for foreign exchange pairs which rank as very affordable for the industry. For CFD Account holders, there are minimum commissions for share trading which vary based on where the share is listed geographically.
Stockbroking Accounts also pay commissions which vary by geographical location. Frequent traders see commissions start as low as $9.90 or 0.075% per trade (whichever is higher). However, for US, UK, Canadian, and Japanese-listed shares, clients pay no trading commissions. There are other fees associated with value-added services for this account type like alerts, data feeds, and checks or foreign bank transfers.
One of the best features is that frequent CFD traders with high volumes of transaction turnover can take advantage of rebates for forex pairs, commodities, indices, and shares. Once certain turnover thresholds are met, clients receive rebates on a sliding scale basis.
Aside from the ordinary transaction fees, there are subscription fees for access to certain stock market data feeds and subscribing to the Stockbroking Pro platform of $49.00 per month. Additionally, there are carrying costs for foreign exchange pairs and commodities which vary by instrument and holding costs for forex which reflect the swap rates plus a 1% charge assessed by CMC.
For users who wish to engage a guaranteed stop-loss on a trade, there is also a fee assessed by CMC. A monthly inactivity fee of $15 is charged after a trading account has been left dormant without any transaction volume for 12 months. However, once trading recommences, clients will be reimbursed for up to 3 months of these fees.
One good aspect is that there is no minimum deposit or minimum withdrawal threshold needed to trade with CMC Markets. Users can deposit funds in a wide range of currencies, ensuring a higher degree of convenience. Moreover, the broker also ensures that customer withdrawals are processed as quickly as possible.
While the fee structuring is a little more complex, CMC still delivers the most affordable costs for Australian clients that frequently trade relative to other local brands.
Reliability & Security
CMC Markets offers multiple trading platform options to its users depending on the account type. CFD Account holders can use its proprietary platform known as Next Generation. This platform is highly intuitive and can be customized to a great extent. This award-winning platform comes with advanced features such as comprehensive analysis tools, the latest news and updates, as well as advanced technical indicators.
The second platform for CFD Accounts is the industry-standard MetaTrader 4. This platform offers features such as measuring client sentiment, accessing price alerts, as well as custom indicators. The platform can be accessed via Android and iOS as well and there is even a web-based offering for this account type to ensure around the clock accessibility for users.
Stockbroking accounts also have multiple platforms to choose from depending on the feature set that the client desires. Although the Standard platform doesn’t provide as much depth as the Pro version, the Pro version is available only by monthly subscription. Still, both are feature-rich offerings which include built-in investment research, exemplary charting tools, world-class news feeds, and much more.
Overall, the trading platforms offered by the broker are excellent, and they ensure that its users are fully aware of the market situation at all times. The trading platforms are also highly reliable, thereby making sure that users can make the most of the market at all times.
CMC Markets has been the recipient of dozens of awards in recent years that demonstrate the brand’s appeal and trustworthiness within the Australian market. Some of the titles awarded to the broker include:
- Canstar Outstanding Value – Online Share Trading 2011-2020
- Canstar Broker of the Year – Online Share Trading 2020
- Best Platform Features, Best Charting, and Best Research Tools by Investment Trends 2017 Australia CFD & FX Reports
- Best Platform Reliability by Investment Trends 2017 FX Report
- Winner of Best Online Trading Platform and Financial Services Provider of the Year at the 2016 Shares Awards
User Experience
CMC Markets offers an excellent, intuitive experience for its users. The broker’s advanced research support tools can prove to be invaluable for its clients. It has tied up with Morningstar to provide its users with the latest news and reports covering a wide range of financial instruments. In addition to this, the broker also grants its users access to numerous value-added tools including economic calendars, stop loss support, and pattern recognition systems.
The broker’s customer service team is also extremely helpful. The team can be contacted via several channels including phone calls, emails, as well as web support. For individuals who are comfortable seeking out answers, the FAQ section of the broker’s website is especially useful, providing critical information related to its key offerings and possible issues. Clients can also use the search tool to scour the site and knowledge base for answers.
Outside of the help provided, useful risk management tools and exceptional order execution round out a feature-rich experience that places the brand well above the competition. Overall, the user experience provided by CMC Markets is excellent. The broker ensures that its customers have ready access to a range of informational materials at all times. Finally, the customer service team is also prompt and provides quick resolution for all queries.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s not to tell why CMC Markets leads the pack when it comes to brokers operating in the Australian market. This market-making ecosystem makes one of the most far-reaching asset varieties accessible to a broad range of different investors to ensure that any strategy or trading preference can be satisfied. Additionally, the broker’s trading platforms are also among the best in the industry, offering advanced charting features to its users in addition to in-platform news, research, signals, and more.
As a regulated entity in Australia, CMC Markets is held to very high standards that ensure a high degree of security for client funds and interests. Furthermore, excellent customer service covering a wide range of languages only strengthens the overall value proposition.
Trading Platform Screenshots
Contact Info
FAQs
Q: Can I register for a demo account?
A: Yes, customers can easily register for a demo account. The demo account is available for both stockbroking and CFD account types. Users can access the demo account to understand the key features offered by CMC Markets and test its functionalities.
Q: What are the account types offered by CMC Markets?
A: At present, CMC Markets allows its users to access two account types. The first one is the Stockbroking Account, where users have many available instruments to choose from including stocks, bonds, ETFs, warrants, options, and more. The second one is the CFD Account, which features a wider range of asset classes including forex pairs, commodities, indices, shares, cryptocurrencies, and bonds.
Q: What are the different trading platforms offered by CMC Markets?
A: As of now, CMC Markets allows its users to trade on four different platforms. Besides the industry-renowned MetaTrader 4 platform, clients can also select from CMC’s proprietary Next Generation platform along with the Standard and Pro Stockbroking platforms. Moreover, there are web and mobile versions of the CFD platform to ensure remote connectivity and even a Stockbroking mobile app.
Q: Does CMC Markets offer mobile trading?
A: CMC Markets empowers traders with investment services via internet-connected mobile devices for either account type. The broker’s platforms are fully compatible with both Android and iOS.
Q: Will my funds be secure with CMC Markets?
A: CMC Markets ensures that all customer funds are kept in segregated accounts. Its employees cannot access these accounts. Furthermore, all client funds are fully insured, thereby providing an extra layer of security.
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