What are bonds?

Bonds are financial instruments issued by Governments and companies to raise money by borrowing from investors. Investors loan money to the issuer by purchasing the bond. Over the life of the loan they receive periodic interest payments, usually twice a year and at maturity the investor receive the face value of the loan. The bonds can be bought and sold on secondary markets which is why GO Markets lets you trade these products. The price of bonds will move around and tend to have an inverse relationship with interest rates. Increase in interest rates, decrease the value of existing bonds as newly issued bonds are offered with higher interest conversely when interest rates decrease, existing bonds increase in value as new bonds will have less attractive interest payments. Bonds issued by stable governments and bonds with a short maturity tend to have lower interest rates as the chance of them being paid back in full on time is high.

Trading Treasury CFDs

Trading Treasury Contracts for Difference (CFDs) is a popular way for traders to speculate on the price movements of government bonds. CFDs allow traders to profit from changes in the price of the underlying asset without actually owning the asset.

What are Treasury CFDs?

A Treasury CFD is a contract between a buyer and a seller, where the buyer agrees to pay the seller the difference between the current market price of a government bond and the price at which the contract was entered into. If the price of the bond goes up, the buyer profits from the difference, and if the price goes down, the seller profits from the difference.

The price of a Treasury CFD is derived from the price of the underlying bond markets, which is affected by a range of factors such as interest rates, inflation expectations, and economic indicators. The price of the CFD is also affected by factors such as market sentiment, geopolitical events, and other external factors that can influence investor behaviour.

Advantages of trading Treasury CFDs

One of the main advantages of trading government bonds is that they offer a high level of liquidity. This means that traders can buy and sell Treasury CFDs quickly and easily, without having to worry about finding a buyer or seller for the underlying asset.

Another advantage of trading Treasury CFDs is that they offer a high level of leverage. This means that traders can control a large position with a relatively small amount of capital. However, it is important to remember that leverage also increases the risk of loss.

Trading Treasury CFDs can also be a good way to diversify a trading portfolio. Bonds are often seen as a safe-haven asset, meaning that they tend to perform well during times of market volatility or economic uncertainty.

Risks of trading Treasury CFDs

As with any financial instrument, there are risks associated with trading Treasury CFDs. One of the main risks is market volatility. Bond prices can be affected by a range of factors, including changes in interest rates, inflation expectations, and geopolitical events. These factors can cause the price of the CFD to fluctuate rapidly, which can lead to significant gains and losses.

Another risk of trading Treasury CFDs is the risk of leverage. As mentioned earlier, leverage can increase the potential profit of a trade, but it also increases the potential risk of loss. Traders should be careful to manage their risk effectively and avoid over-leveraging their positions.