What Is a Spread in Forex Trading?
In forex and CFD trading, the spread is the difference between the buy price (ask) and the sell price (bid) of a currency pair or other instrument. It represents the primary cost of executing a trade and is how most brokers earn revenue on market-maker or dealing desk accounts. Understanding how spreads work is essential for calculating your true trading costs and choosing the right account type for your strategy.
For example, if EUR/USD is quoted at a bid price of 1.0798 and an ask price of 1.0800, the spread is 2 pips. When you open a buy position, you enter at the ask price (1.0800). The market must move at least 2 pips in your favour before you break even on the trade.
How Spreads Affect Your Profitability
The spread is a cost that applies to every single trade you open, regardless of whether the trade is ultimately profitable or not. For high-frequency traders such as scalpers, who may open and close dozens of trades per day, the cumulative cost of spreads can represent a significant drag on overall performance. For longer-term traders who hold positions for hours or days, the spread is a smaller proportion of total trade costs relative to the pip movements being targeted.
Understanding your effective cost per trade is therefore an important part of evaluating the viability of any trading strategy. A strategy that is marginally profitable on paper may become unprofitable once spread costs are factored in, particularly if average trade durations are short.
Fixed vs Variable Spreads
There are two main types of spreads offered by forex brokers:
Fixed Spreads
A fixed spread remains constant regardless of market conditions. The spread on EUR/USD might always be 2 pips, whether markets are calm or highly volatile. Fixed spreads provide predictability, which can be useful for traders who need to calculate costs precisely in advance. However, fixed spreads are typically higher than variable spreads during normal market conditions to compensate the broker for the risk of providing a fixed rate during volatility.
Variable (Floating) Spreads
Variable spreads fluctuate in response to market liquidity and volatility. During quiet trading sessions, variable spreads can be extremely tight (sometimes below 1 pip on major pairs). During major economic data releases or periods of low liquidity, they can widen significantly. ECN accounts typically offer variable spreads that are closer to the true interbank market spread.
The choice between fixed and variable spreads depends on your trading strategy. Scalpers and high-frequency traders generally benefit from the tighter variable spreads available on ECN accounts during liquid market hours, while traders who prefer predictability may favour fixed-spread accounts.
Understanding the Difference Between ECN and Standard Accounts
The account type you choose has a direct impact on the spreads you pay. Bullwaves offers both standard-style accounts and an ECN account, each with different spread structures:
Classic and VIP accounts:
Spreads are built into the quoted price. No separate commission is charged per trade. This model is straightforward and suits traders who prefer an all-in cost structure.
ECN account:
Raw spreads are offered, which can be very close to zero on major pairs. However, a small commission per lot is charged on each trade. This model typically results in lower overall costs for high-volume traders.
To understand which account structure suits your trading style, read our detailed comparison on the differences between ECN and standard forex accounts or visit the Bullwaves accounts page.
Other Trading Costs to Be Aware Of
In addition to the spread, there are other costs that can affect your overall trading profitability:
Overnight swap (rollover):
If you hold a position open overnight, a swap fee (or credit) is applied based on the interest rate differential between the two currencies in the pair. Swap fees are displayed on the MT5 platform before you open a position.
Commission:
On ECN-type accounts, a small commission per standard lot is charged at the point of trade execution. This is separate from the spread.
Slippage:
During periods of very high volatility, your order may be filled at a price slightly different from your requested price. This is known as slippage and can add to or reduce your effective transaction cost.
How to Minimise Spread Costs
There are several practical steps you can take to minimise the impact of spreads on your trading performance:
Trade during high-liquidity sessions:
Spreads are typically tightest during the London and New York trading sessions (and especially during the overlap between the two). Avoid trading during low-liquidity periods such as the Asian session on major non-yen pairs.
Focus on major currency pairs:
Pairs such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY have the highest liquidity and therefore the tightest spreads. Exotic pairs carry significantly wider spreads.
Target larger pip movements:
If your strategy targets 50-100 pips per trade, a 2-pip spread represents a much smaller percentage of your profit target than if you are targeting only 10 pips.
Choose the right account type:
If you are a high-frequency trader, the ECN account at Bullwaves may offer a lower effective cost per trade despite the commission, compared to standard accounts with wider spreads.
Conclusion
The spread is one of the most important factors to understand when evaluating your trading costs and selecting the most suitable account type for your strategy. By choosing the right account at Bullwaves, trading during high-liquidity sessions, and focusing on liquid instruments, you can minimise the drag that spreads place on your overall performance. The Bullwaves MT5 platform displays real-time bid and ask prices for all instruments, giving you full transparency on your trading costs at all times.
Risk Warning: Forex and CFD trading involves a high level of risk. Spread costs are one of several factors that can impact your trading results. Losses can exceed your initial deposit. Please ensure you fully understand all costs associated with trading before opening a live account.
