CFD Advisory and Spread Betting

Yes. Galvan Research and Trading Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Service Authority. Our Firm Reference number is 401179.

The name Galvan is a derivative of the word galvanise, which means to stimulate or excite. Galvanised steel has a protective layer of zinc, allowing it to remain strong for decades.

A Financial Spread Bet allows an investor to bet on whether they believe that the price quoted for a particular financial instrument is likely to strengthen (go up in value) or to weaken (go down in value). The profit or loss for a Spread Better is determined by the difference in buy and sell price.

Galvan offers over a thousand Spread Betting products including Equity Shares and Indices, Foreign Exchange, Treasuries and Commodities. For a list of products available please click here.

Yes, Spread Betting can be conducted over the telephone, although clients will generally find that trading over the internet is faster than telephone trading. There is, however, no penalty for trading over the telephone.

Once your account has been set up, you can contact our payments department and authorise a funds transfer. Funds can be remitted either electronically straight into your account or you can be issued a cheque. Bank charges apply to some forms of payment.

If you carry a Spread Bet Share position overnight, it incurs a financing cost. Finance is calculated on 100% of the value of the equivalent physical share position. It is calculated on a daily basis at market price. If you are long, you'll have to pay interest to Galvan; if you are short, you may receive interest from Galvan.

Financing is charged on any positions held overnight (positions open at 22.00 London time).

Galvan utilises the Daily Rolling Cash® bet, a product designed for the more professional short-medium term investor. This daily bet allows Galvan to offer spreads that closely mirror the underlying daily cash price and do not include a fixed expiry.

The minimum trade size across all spread betting products is £1 per point. The maximum trade size is dictated by the amount of funds you have in your account to use as margin and by the size available in the underlying market.

For more information on how to to open an account online please click here, or contact a Sales Representative on 01872 262622

Any person resident in the UK or Ireland can open a Spread Betting account provided they are over 18 years of age.

No, Galvan only offers deposit accounts.

Yes, should you require a second account (sub-account) please contact our sales department on 01872 262622.

Yes, to open a joint account you will need to complete an application form for each party and enclose a note, signed by both parties, stating that you require a joint account. The documentation required from each applicant is the same as that required for an individual account. To open an account online or request an account application form please click here.

Providing we receive the correct documentation from you, your account should be up and running within a business day.

A Stop order is an order placed to limit the loss on an open position. It can also be used to enter the market at an inferior rate, allowing you to enter the market on a 'breakout' of the current trading range.

Example You have bought (long) £1 a point ABC Corp at an opening price of 122p. You believe ABC Corp will strengthen however, want to limit your losses and place a Stop Loss order to sell (short) £1 a point ABC Corp at 110p, thus limiting your losses if ABC Corp falls to 110p or below. Stop orders are rarely offered when Share trading.

A limit order is used to place either a closing trade to take a profit on an open position at a predefined rate set by you, or as an opening trade at a more favourable rate than the current price for that instrument. Limit orders are rarely offered when Share trading.

Conditional orders (ie Limits / Stops) can be placed GTC, Good 'Til Cancelled. A GTC order means that the order you place will remain in the market until it is either executed according to the terms of that order, or is cancelled by you.

*Important Note: If you close a position, you must cancel any related orders you have placed against that position. Failure to do so will mean that the order remains in the market and at risk of execution.

Yes, Controlled Risk Bets are a combination of a Market order (a buy or a sell) and a Guaranteed Stop. The trade must be designated a CRB at the outset of the trade, and there is an up front premium payable due to the guaranteed element of the transaction. For a full explanation please see our online dealing guide. Guaranteed Stops are rarely offered when Share trading.