Which Australian broker offers ETF CFDs?
Verdict
- Pepperstone, our pick, offers ETF CFDs to Australian residents through Pepperstone Group Limited (ASIC, AFSL 414530): 95 in its account table, while its ETF page says 80+, with up to 5x leverage for retail clients.
- US-listed ETF CFDs cost $0.02 per share per side at Pepperstone, with no minimum.
- Our data doesn't confirm ETF CFD ranges at other ASIC-licensed providers, so check their symbol lists before assuming they have one.
- To hold ETFs for years, buying units through a stockbroker avoids nightly financing.
An ETF CFD tracks the price of an exchange-traded fund with leverage and the option to go short. That makes it a trading instrument for sector or theme views over days and weeks, not a replacement for buying the fund.
ETF CFDs at Pepperstone
Pepperstone's Australian accounts list 95 ETF CFDs (March 2025 data; the markets page says 80+), alongside 1,162 share CFDs. Retail leverage is 1:5, as for shares, and professional clients can reach 1:20. US ETF CFDs cost $0.02 per share per side with no minimum, and you can trade them on MT5, cTrader and Pepperstone's own platform with either account, or on MT4 and TradingView with Razor, from a $10 deposit.
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ETF CFD or ETF units?
| ETF CFD | ETF units | |
|---|---|---|
| Trading cost | $0.02 per share per side on US ETFs | The stockbroker's brokerage |
| Leverage | Up to 1:5 retail | None |
| Going short | Yes | Not practical for most retail investors |
| Overnight financing | Yes, every night held | No |
| Fund management fee | Reflected in the ETF's price | Reflected in the ETF's price |
| Distributions | Usually a cash adjustment | Paid to you as a unitholder |
A worked ETF CFD position
Buy 50 units of a US ETF CFD at an illustrative US$400: a US$20,000 position needing US$4,000 of margin at 1:5. Commission is 50 × $0.02 = $1 to open and $1 to close. Because the charge is per share, high-priced ETFs are cheap to trade in commission terms; financing is the cost that grows with time, so check the overnight rate before holding for weeks.
Who ETF CFDs suit
- Traders taking a short-term view on a sector or theme without picking single stocks.
- Investors who want to hedge a portfolio temporarily by shorting a broad ETF CFD instead of selling holdings.
- Not long-term savers: nightly financing makes CFDs a costly way to hold a fund for years.
Other providers and routes
Capital.com (AFSL 513393), our second choice, allows 5:1 on shares for Australian retail clients, but our data doesn't list ETF CFDs there, so search its platform. For owning ETF units, a stockbroker is the route; CMC Markets, for example, holds a stockbroking licence (AFSL 246381) separate from its CFD business. Our data doesn't break Pepperstone's ETF list down by exchange, so check whether the ASX-listed funds you want are included.
Sources
ETF ranges, leverage and commission as published.
Can I short an ETF CFD?
Yes. You sell to open, as with a share CFD, with the same 20% retail margin.
Are ASX-listed ETFs available as CFDs at Pepperstone?
Our data doesn't break the ETF list down by exchange. Search the platform for the specific fund before funding.
What leverage applies to ETF CFDs for professional clients?
Up to 1:20 at Pepperstone, against 1:5 for retail clients.
ETF CFDs are complex, leveraged instruments, and you can lose money quickly; they don't give you ownership of fund units. Read the PDS and TMD before trading. This page is general information only, not investment advice.