Gold is one of the most actively traded commodity CFDs. Price moves on every Fed decision, every inflation print, every geopolitical escalation. Raw spreads from $0.05/oz on Raw Pro (indicative, 30-day rolling median, normal volatility). P50 under 50ms (standard sessions). Up to 1:2000 leverage (varies by account and jurisdiction). FSC Mauritius regulated.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Spread | From $0.05/oz on Raw Pro (indicative, 30-day rolling median, normal volatility) |
| Leverage | Up to 1:2000 (varies by account type and jurisdiction) |
| Contract Size | 100 troy oz (1 standard lot) |
| Min Lot Size | 0.01 (1 troy oz notional) |
| Margin (1:2000) | ~$115 per lot at gold $2,300/oz (varies with gold price) |
| Trading Hours | 23:01 Sun – 21:59 Fri UTC; daily break 22:00–23:00 UTC |
| Swap Long | -8.21 pts/lot/day (current; verify in MT5 Symbol Properties) |
| Swap Short | +2.45 pts/lot/day (current; verify in MT5 Symbol Properties) |
| Stop Level | 0 (current; verify in MT5 Symbol Properties) |
| Execution | P50 under 50ms (standard sessions) |
| Platform | MT5, WebTrader, Mobile |
XAU/USD is the spot price of one troy ounce of gold in US dollars (XAU = ISO 4217 code for gold). As a CFD, you trade the price movement without physical ownership — going long or short with leverage. Daily turnover runs in the tens of billions of dollars across spot, futures, and OTC markets (LBMA, COMEX). Central banks hold over 36,000 tonnes in reserves (IMF, 2025), making gold a structural component of the global monetary system.
Gold moves inversely to US real yields (Treasury yields minus inflation). When real yields fall, the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold decreases. This is the dominant long-term price driver.
Gold rallies during geopolitical crises, banking stress, and equity drawdowns. It carries no sovereign credit risk — the default hedge when trust in fiat systems declines.
Central banks have been net buyers since 2010, purchasing over 1,000 tonnes annually in 2022–2024 (World Gold Council). De-dollarization and reserve diversification support structural demand.
Price tracks three forces: US monetary policy, the dollar, and risk sentiment.
| Feature | Region | Typical Move | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOMC Rate Decision | US | $20–50+/oz | ~6 weeks |
| CPI / Core PCE | US | $10–30/oz | Monthly |
| Non-Farm Payrolls | US | $10–25/oz | Monthly (first Friday) |
| GDP (Advance) | US | $5–15/oz | Quarterly |
| Geopolitical Escalation | Global | $10–50+/oz | Event-driven |
Impact estimates are directional, based on historical median moves. Actual volatility varies.
Gold trades 24/5 but liquidity and spread quality vary by session.
| Session | Hours (UTC) | Characteristics | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 22:00–08:00 | Wider; Shanghai Gold Benchmark at 02:15 UTC adds brief liquidity | Low–Medium |
| London | 08:00–16:30 | Tight; London bullion market drives price discovery | High |
| London–NY Overlap | 13:00–16:30 | Tightest spreads, COMEX futures add depth | Highest |
| New York | 13:00–22:00 | Tight during overlap, widening post-London | High → Medium |
For cost-sensitive gold execution, London–NY overlap (13:00–16:30 UTC) delivers the tightest conditions. Avoid the first 30 minutes after Sunday open and the 15 minutes around major US data releases.
| Feature | Hours (UTC) | Execution Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| London peak | 08:00–12:00 | Tight; stable; LBMA Gold Price at 10:30 UK time adds brief widening | Strong execution quality |
| London–NY overlap | 13:00–16:30 | Tightest; COMEX + spot liquidity combined | Optimal for cost-sensitive execution |
| NY post-London | 16:30–22:00 | Widening gradually | Tradeable; higher cost than overlap |
| Off-hours | 22:00–08:00 | Wide; thin book; Sunday open gaps | Avoid for new positions |
| FOMC / NFP / CPI days | Varies | Spike during release; normalize 15–45 min after | Wait for stabilization; reduce size |
Conclusion: Session timing is one of the simplest controllable factors in gold trading cost. London–NY overlap consistently offers the best combination of depth and spread efficiency outside high-impact release windows.
Per-Account Pricing
| Feature | Raw Pro | Prime | Standard | Micro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAU/USD Spread | From $0.05/oz | From $0.15/oz | From $0.25/oz | From $0.30/oz |
| Commission | $1.75/lot/side | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cost per Lot | ≈$5.00 + $3.50 = $8.50 | ≈$15.00 | ≈$25.00 | ≈$30.00 |
| Min Deposit | $10 | $10 | $10 | $5 |
Spreads: indicative, 30-day rolling median, normal volatility. Actual results vary by market conditions and session. Cost per lot illustrative, based on median spreads.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Leverage | Up to 1:2000 (varies by account type and jurisdiction) |
| Margin per Lot (1:2000) | ~$115 at gold $2,300/oz (varies with spot price) |
| Min Lot | 0.01 (1 troy oz notional) |
| Trading Hours | 23:01 Sun – 21:59 Fri UTC; daily break 22:00–23:00 UTC |
| Swap Long | -8.21 pts/lot/day (current; verify in MT5) |
| Swap Short | +2.45 pts/lot/day (current; verify in MT5) |
| Stop Level | 0 (current; no minimum distance — verify in MT5) |
| Execution | Direct to multiple institutional liquidity providers (details: /en/execution/) |
Swap rates change with interest rate differentials and gold forward rates. Verify current rates and all contract specifications in MT5 Symbol Properties and /en/trading-conditions/.
Monitor correlated instruments to avoid unintended directional overlap.
| Feature | Correlation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| DXY (Dollar Index) | Strong negative | USD weakness = gold strength in most regimes |
| US 10Y Real Yield (TIPS) | Strong negative | The dominant structural driver of gold prices |
| Silver (XAG/USD) | Strong positive | Moves directionally with gold; higher volatility |
| S&P 500 | Variable | Negative during crises; positive during reflationary periods |
| EUR/USD | Moderate positive | Both benefit from USD weakness |
| Bitcoin (BTC/USD) | Weak positive | Narrative overlap as "store of value"; diverges in practice |
Correlations shift during crises. Use as a risk filter, not a signal.
Illustrative example: 1 standard lot (100 oz) at 1:2000 leverage, gold at $2,300/oz. Margin required: ~$115. A $20/oz move = $2,000 gain or loss — over 17× the margin deposit. At 1:100 leverage, the same move = $2,000 on ~$2,300 margin. Position sizing and stop-losses are essential.
Gold can move $30–50+ within minutes during FOMC decisions or CPI surprises. Spreads widen during these events.
Sunday open gaps occur as liquidity rebuilds. Geopolitical shocks produce larger gaps. Stop-losses may execute at worse prices than set levels.
Positions held past 5 PM UTC incur swap charges. Current XAU/USD swaps: long -8.21, short +2.45 pts/lot/day (triple on Wednesday). Verify rates in MT5 Symbol Properties. Factor swaps into multi-day economics.
Four account types from $5, all supporting XAU/USD.
Trading XAU/USD with leverage carries substantial risk. CFDs are derivatives. Losses can exceed your deposited funds. Gold prices move rapidly on central bank decisions, inflation data, and geopolitical events. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
All spread claims: indicative, 30-day rolling median, normal volatility. Actual results vary by account type, liquidity, and market conditions. P50 execution under 50ms (standard sessions). Actual speed varies with market conditions. Cost-per-lot examples are illustrative based on median spreads and stated assumptions.
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