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S&P 500
'S&P' stands for Standard & Poor's (an international credit rating company). It defines the broader US equity market, tracking the performance of the top 500 US companies.
SAF
South African Futures Exchange.
Schatz
A bond issued by the German Government which matures in 1.75 and 2.25 years.
SEAQ
Stock Exchange Automated Quotations. The quote driven system for trading UK shares.
Sector
Used to characterise a group of securities that are similar with respect to type and industry.
Securities
The collective name given to stocks and shares.
SEK
Swedish Krona.
Sell / Sell Bet / Selling
A bet that will be profitable if the market falls. Also called a Down Bet, Going Short or Taking a Short Position. Also used to close an existing long position.
SETS
Stock Exchange Electronic Trading System. The order driven system used to trade FTSE 100, ex-FTSE 100 and reserve shares.
Settlement Price
The price at which a bet is closed. Also know as the 'expiry price'.
SFE
Sydney Futures Exchange.
SGX
Singapore Exchange.
Shares
Shares represent ownership of part of a company. Also referred to as 'Equities' and 'Stocks'.
Short
Trading on a lower (bid) price because you think the market will fall. A bet that will be profitable if the market falls. Also called a Down Bet, Going Short, Taking a Short Position or Selling.
Shorting
Refers to selling an asset that you do not own with the aim of buying it back cheaper at a later date. In spread betting, it refers to placing a 'down bet' or a trade in anticipation of a falling market. To Go Short means to Sell.
Slippage
See Gap or Market Gap.
SOFFEX
Swiss Options and Financial Futures Exchange.
Softs
Commodities that are grown rather that mined eg coffee and wheat.
SOQ
Special Opening Quotation. The settlement price mechanism for some US future contracts.
Spike
Sharp up or down movement in a market.
Spot market
Market in which commodities are bought and sold for cash and immediate delivery. Also known as a cash market.
Spread
The difference between the Sell and Buy (bid and offer) prices.
Spread Co
A spread betting company based in London. Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Also see Spread Co Review.
Stake
The bet size per unit of movement. In Spread Betting this is NOT the total amount you could lose.
Stamp Duty
Stamp duty is a UK Government tax of 0.5% paid by the buyer on all share transactions. An investor purchasing £5,000 of UK shares would pay Stamp Duty of 0.5% x £5,000 = £25. In Ireland the current rate is 1%. There is no Stamp Duty on CFDs or spread bets. Note that tax laws can change.
STIRs / Short Term Interest Rates
While Bonds provide a way of trading longer-term interest rates you can also spread bet on STIRs (Short Term Interest Rates) eg Short Sterling or Eurodollar.
Stock
See shares.
Stop Loss
A pre-determined level at which a bet will be closed to limit your loss if the price moves against you. Stop Losses are not always guaranteed and can be filled at worse levels than expected. This can occur when markets do not move smoothly ie when they 'Gap' from one price to another. When this happens your stop loss will be filled at the next price.
Stop Order
Stops are Orders to Sell below, or Buy above, the current price. Stop orders are normally placed to close an existing position and restrict losses in the event of an adverse market movement. They can also be used to initiate a new position if the price breaks through a perceived support/resistance level.
Straddle
Purchase or sale of an equal number of puts and calls with the same terms at the same time.
Strangle
Buying or selling an out-of-the-money put option and call option on the same underlying instrument, with the same expiration. Profits are made only if there is a drastic change in the underlying instrument's price.
Strategy
Plan of action for achieving a goal.
Strike Price
The stated price per share for which underlying shares may be purchased or sold by the option holder upon exercising an Option Contract.
Sub-prime Loan
A type of loan offered to individuals who do not qualify for a lender's best available rate often due to a poor credit history. Sub-prime loans tend to have higher interest rates than normal loan.
Supply and Demand
Economic theory that simply states price is a function of the market supply and demand.
Support Level
A price level below which it is supposedly difficult for a security or market to fall. That is, the price level at which a market tends to stop falling because there is more demand than supply. This can be identified on a technical basis by seeing where the shares have bottomed out in the past. Also see Resistance Level.
Suspended Trading
Temporary halt in trading in a particular security, in advance of a major news announcement or to correct an imbalance of orders to buy and sell.
Synthetic Collateralised Debt Obligation
A CDO that invests in credit default swaps or other non-cash assets.
£1 per point: Start trading £1 per point/tick & an initial deposit of £30
Multiple markets: Forex , Commodities, Indices & Equities
Risk Warning - Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital & you may lose more than your initial investment. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved, seek financial advice where necessary & make sure spread betting meets your investment objectives.
(1) The FTSE Rolling Daily Spread is 1 tick during market hours & 4 ticks out of hours. 1 Tick is defined as a full FTSE point. See our Product Information for more details. (2) The above information is correct at time of writing. (3) Tax Law can change.
FinancialSpreads.com is a trading name of London Capital Group Ltd which is authorised & regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Registered address: is 4th Floor, 12 Appold Street, London EC2A 2AW. All information correct at time of publication.
Risk Warning:
Spread Betting carries a high level of risk
to your capital and you can lose more than your initial investment,
it may not be suitable for all investors. Ensure you only
speculate with money that you can afford to lose and that you fully
understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.
Disclaimer:
Online-Spread-Betting.com does not endorse the information and
analysis available on this site. It is provided purely for information
purposes and is delivered as a personal view of the writer. Under no circumstances
is the information hereon to be used or considered as, an offer to sell, or a
solicitation of any offer to buy. The website content does not constitute investment
advice and neither the individual contributor nor Online-Spread-Betting.com accepts any
responsibility for any use that may be made of the content.
* Tax Free Trading:
Tax law is subject to change. It may also differ if you pay tax in a jurisdiction outside the UK.
