The S&P 500, or simply the S&P, is a stock market index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it to be one of the best representations of the entire US stock market.
Trading S&P 500 on Swift Expert Trade platform allows traders to maximize their trading results with a wide range of trading tools and ability to go long and short with flexible leverage. Benefit from award-winning products and industry-leading security.
When a trader decides to margin trade on the S&P 500 they are deciding to take a position that will be larger in value than the capital they want to put on it. So, they rather put up a margin, which is an amount used as insurance, and then Swift Expert Trade provides the rest to build up the position.
This margin amount is closely linked to the leveraging of the position and these margin accounts are then used to leverage the trading to make it more profitable in a successful trade, but they can also amplify losses by the leverage amount in unsuccessful trades.
For example, If a trader takes a long position of $2,000 on the S&P 500 and it rises by 10%, using 5x leverage the same rise becomes a 50% profit, or $1,000. A similar spot trade without leverage would result in only 10% profit, or $200.
Disclaimer: Margin trading also comes with inherent risks if the position moves against the trade. You should never utilize 100% leverage and never invest more than you can afford to lose.