What are metals?
Metals split into two camps. Precious metals like gold and silver are prized as stores of value and tend to attract buyers during uncertainty — gold in particular is the classic "safe haven." Base or industrial metals like copper track the health of the real economy.
For traders, metals offer a distinct behaviour from stocks and currencies: gold often rises when markets are fearful, while copper is read as a barometer of global growth. That makes them useful both as a diversifier and as a way to trade a macro view.
How to trade metals
Retail traders access metals mainly through CFDs on the spot price, going long or short with leverage without owning any physical metal. Gold (XAU/USD) and silver (XAG/USD) are the most traded and usually the most liquid.
Gold typically gets more generous leverage than most commodities, but it can still move sharply on interest-rate and geopolitical news. Costs are the usual spread plus overnight financing on positions held past the daily rollover.
Popular metals instruments
Some of the most widely traded instruments in this market:
Best brokers for metals trading
Every broker below is regulated and reviewed against the same six-pillar rubric. Scores are on a 0–10 scale — open a review to see the full breakdown and each figure’s source.
Metals trading — frequently asked questions
Why is gold called a safe haven?
Investors have historically bought gold during times of uncertainty or inflation, so it often holds or gains value when riskier assets fall. That tendency is why it behaves differently from stocks.
Do I own physical metal when I trade a metal CFD?
No. Metal CFDs are cash-settled on the price only — you never take delivery of a physical bar or coin.
Which metal is most traded?
Gold is by far the most traded metal with retail clients, followed by silver, thanks to their liquidity and their sensitivity to interest rates and geopolitics.
Risk warning: Trading metals through leveraged products such as CFDs carries a high risk of rapid loss. The majority of retail investor accounts lose money. Consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford the risk. Nothing here is investment advice.