🏅 CFDS VS ETFS 🏅
➡️ GOLD ETFS (Right Chart)
ETFS PHYSICAL GOLD (ASX:GOLD) offers low-cost access to physical gold via the stock exchange and avoids the need for investors to personally store their own bullion.
Each GOLD unit comes with an entitlement to an amount of "physical bullion". This means : Real Gold, Real Bars.
⬅️ GOLD CFDS (Left Chart)
CFDs on GOLD US/OZ (TVC:GOLD) (OANDA:XAUUSD)
CFD stands for Contracts for Difference, with the difference being between where you enter a trade and where you exit. Simply put, when the position is closed, you’ll receive the profit or incur the loss on that difference. When you trade a CFD you’re speculating on the movement of the price only, rather than traditional stocks where you purchase a physical asset. You do not ever own any real gold bars.
🤓 CFD TRADE EXAMPLE
The price of gold is measured by its weight. Therefore, the price shows how much it costs for one ounce of gold in US dollars. For example, if the gold (XAUUSD) price is $1600.00, it means an ounce of gold is traded at US$1600.00. Similarly, the price of silver is its price per ounce in USD. If the silver (XAGUSD) price is 28.00, it means that an ounce of silver is traded at US$28.00.
If you have bought gold for $1600, you do not have an ounce of gold that you can hold, but you rather have the obligation to buy XAU at US$1600. When you close your position, you sell the XAU and close your exposure. If you sell it for $1605.00, you have made profit of $5 for every ounce (unit) of gold in your contract. The same concept applies to silver trading. If you have bought silver (XAGUSD) for $28.00 and sell at $28.50, you would have made a profit of $0.50 for every ounce of silver in your contract.
🤔 WHY TRADE CFDS?
If you’re looking to invest in the price movements of instruments, rather than purchasing physical assets
To take advantage of swift fluctuations in the underlying instrument or security. This is popular with short-term investors looking to profit from intra-day and overnight movements in the market
To take advantage of leverage and spread capital across a range of different instruments rather than tie it up in a single investment (note: this approach can increase risk)
As a risk management tool to hedge exposure