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Spot market

The spot market is where assets trade at the current price for near-immediate delivery, as in spot forex or spot gold.

On the spot market, the price is today's price, for quick settlement. On the interbank forex market, settlement normally happens two business days later (T+2) for most pairs. Spot gold (XAU/USD) is the price of an ounce for immediate delivery.

CFDs and retail forex track the spot price, but no currency is ever delivered: positions are rolled over every night, which is where the swap comes from.

Spot is the opposite of futures, which fix a price for a future date. The gap between the two mostly reflects interest rates and storage costs.

The full lessonSpot, CFDs, futures and options: what are the differences?Spot market, CFDs, futures and options: ownership of the asset, leverage, expiry and costs. A clear side-by-side comparison to choose the right instrument.← Full glossary