Which CFD brokers are best for trading around news and economic events?
Verdict
- For UK traders who trade data releases and central-bank decisions, Pepperstone is our pick: raw spreads on Razor, and a published execution record of fills from 50 milliseconds with a 99.32% fill rate and no dealer intervention.
- Pepperstone does not offer guaranteed stop-losses, so a stop can fill beyond your level when a price jumps on the news.
- If you need a guaranteed exit through an announcement, Capital.com, IG, CMC Markets, Spreadex and FOREX.com publish guaranteed stops, each with its own charge.
- Every UK retail account at these firms carries negative balance protection, which limits a bad gap to the money in the account.
News trading is a test of two things: how a broker fills orders when prices move fast, and what protection you have if they move further than planned. Pepperstone scores well on the first, publishes its own execution figures, and leaves the second to you.
Why Pepperstone is our first choice for event trading
Pepperstone says its orders fill from 50 milliseconds with a 99.32% fill rate and no dealer intervention, based on trades from January to March 2026. Those are the firm's own numbers, not our test, but few brokers publish anything comparable. Razor passes on raw spreads (UK minimums of 0.0 on EUR/USD and GBP/USD) with a commission from £2.25 per lot per side in a GBP account, so the cost you see before a release is mostly the market's own spread. UK clients can also spread bet the same events in pounds per point.
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What happens to a stop when the number lands
In the seconds after a big release, there may be no trades at the price your stop was set at. An ordinary stop then becomes a market order and fills at the next available price. Pepperstone's UK terms say it cannot guarantee that stop-loss or limit orders fill at your chosen level. Only a guaranteed stop removes that slippage, and you pay for it:
| Broker | Guaranteed stop-loss | How it is charged | Retail negative balance protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | No | — | Yes |
| Capital.com | Yes | See broker's terms | Yes |
| IG | Yes | Free to place; premium if triggered | Yes |
| CMC Markets | Yes | Fee to attach, refunded in full if not triggered | Not stated in our data |
| Spreadex | Yes | See broker's terms | Yes |
| FOREX.com | Yes | Premium only if triggered | Yes |
A routine for trading a scheduled release
- Check the economic calendar for the release time and the expected figure.
- Decide your maximum loss in pounds before the release, not after it.
- Size the position so that loss fits even if the stop slips; at 1:30 leverage on major pairs, smaller sizes leave more room.
- Avoid placing market orders in the first seconds, when spreads are often at their widest.
- If the exit must be exact, use a guaranteed stop at a broker that offers one, and include its charge in your cost.
When Capital.com is the better tool
If you trade fewer, larger event positions and want a firm price ceiling on the loss, Capital.com's guaranteed stop-loss and FCA-regulated UK company (793714) make it our second choice. Pepperstone stays ahead for frequent traders who care more about raw pricing and platform choice, including MT5, cTrader and TradingView for charting the reaction.
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Sources
Execution and order terms published by each firm.
Is news trading allowed at Pepperstone?
Pepperstone publishes no ban on trading around news, and states it executes with no dealer intervention. Expect slippage on stops during fast moves.
Do spreads widen during economic announcements?
Usually, yes, at every broker, because liquidity thins as the number is released. Published averages and minimums describe normal conditions.
Which broker is cheapest for trading news?
On published figures, a raw-spread account such as Pepperstone Razor is cheapest per lot in normal conditions. A guaranteed stop adds cost but caps the exit price.
Trading around news is especially risky: CFDs and spread bets are leveraged, prices can gap, and you can lose money very quickly. This page reports broker-published terms and is not investment advice.