Trading Conditions

Leverage availability varies by instrument type. The following is an overview of how leverage applies across different product categories.

The following instruments follow your account's selected leverage level:

The following instruments use dynamic leverage, which adjusts automatically based on your open position size:

All other instruments (e.g. Indices) are subject to their own fixed leverage conditions, regardless of your account leverage setting.

Tip:To view the specific leverage conditions for any instrument, open MT5, go to Market Watch, right-click the instrument, and select Specification.

Leverage adjustments may occur from time to time based on market conditions or risk management considerations. Spec Markets reserves the right to adjust account leverage at its discretion in accordance with our risk management policy. For cryptocurrency instruments, leverage is subject to dynamic adjustment based on open position size. See What is the maximum leverage available? for more details. If you have questions regarding a leverage adjustment on your account, please contact our support team:

• Live chat on our website
• Support ticket via your Client Area
• Email: [email protected].

Margin is the amount of funds required to open and maintain a trading position. At Spec Markets, margin is calculated using the following formula: Margin = Price × Lots × Contract Size ÷ Leverage

To open 1 lot of XAUUSD (Gold) at a price of USD 2,000 with a leverage of 1:100: 2,000 × 1 × 100 ÷ 100 = USD 2,000 required margin

Margin requirements are not fixed — they fluctuate in line with market prices. As the price of an instrument moves, the margin required to maintain your open position will adjust accordingly. We recommend monitoring your account margin level regularly to avoid a margin call.

Tip:To check the contract size of any instrument, open MT5, go to Market Watch, right-click the instrument, and select Specification.

A margin call is a notification triggered when your account's margin level falls to a critical threshold, alerting you to take action to maintain your open positions.

Margin Call (100%): When your margin level reaches 100%, an automated email notification will be sent to your registered email address. This serves as an early warning to either deposit additional funds or reduce your open positions. Stop Out (50%): If your margin level continues to fall to 50% or below, the system will automatically begin closing your open positions, starting with the most unprofitable, until your margin level recovers above 50%. If the margin level cannot be recovered, all remaining positions may be closed.

Warning:The margin call email notification is your early warning before a stop out is triggered. We strongly recommend taking immediate action upon receiving a margin call notification to protect your account.

Spec Markets offers floating spreads on all instruments, meaning spreads fluctuate in real time based on market conditions. Spread widening is a normal part of trading and is not indicative of a platform issue.

Low liquidity periods: Spreads are typically tightest during peak trading hours when market liquidity is highest. As markets approach their opening or closing times, the number of active participants decreases, causing liquidity to thin and spreads to widen. This is most commonly observed:

• In the minutes before and after a market opens or closes
• During the overlap between trading sessions
• Late at night or early in the morning when major markets are inactive. Major news events and economic data releases: When high-impact economic data is released — such as Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP), central bank interest rate decisions, or inflation figures — prices can move sharply and unpredictably within a very short timeframe. During these periods, liquidity providers widen their quotes to manage exposure, which is directly reflected in the spreads available to traders. Example: During a normal trading session, the spread on EURUSD may be as low as 0.1–0.3 pips. In the seconds surrounding a major news release, the same spread may temporarily widen to several pips before normalising once market conditions stabilise.

Tip:To minimise the impact of spread widening, consider avoiding opening new positions immediately before major news events or during market open and close periods. See How do I use the economic calendar? for more details.

A swap (also known as a rollover fee) is a charge or credit applied to positions held overnight. Swap rates and calculation methods vary by instrument and can be viewed directly in MT5 under each instrument's Specification.

MT5 supports three swap calculation methods, which vary by instrument:

In certain cases, a triple swap is charged to account for weekend rollovers when markets are closed:

Islamic accounts (Swap-Free) are exempt from all swap charges. See Who can apply for an Islamic account? for eligibility and application details.