How much do spreads widen at UK brokers during news events?
Verdict
- No UK broker in our data publishes how far its spreads widen around news, Pepperstone included, so any fixed figure you see is an estimate; Pepperstone remains our pick because it publishes both minimum and average spreads, which shows the normal range.
- Pepperstone's Razor EUR/USD spread runs from a 0.0 minimum to a 0.1-pip average; a major release can push it well beyond both for seconds or minutes.
- Stops are not guaranteed at Pepperstone: its UK terms say it cannot guarantee execution at your stop level. Capital.com, IG and CMC Markets offer guaranteed stops.
- Retail accounts at Pepperstone have negative balance protection, so a news gap cannot leave you owing money.
Around major releases such as US jobs data or a Bank of England decision, prices jump and spreads widen. How far depends on the second, the pair and the broker, and none publishes a figure. Here is what the published data does tell you, and how to protect a position.
What Pepperstone publishes, and why we still pick it
Pepperstone does not publish a 'news spread', and neither does any UK broker in our data. What it does publish is more than most: minimum and average spreads on its main markets, an execution model it describes as having no dealer intervention, a stated 99.32% fill rate, and negative balance protection for retail clients. On the Standard account a 1-point mark-up sits inside the FX spread; Razor shows the raw spread and adds a fixed commission, so on Razor the commission does not grow when spreads widen.
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Minimum versus average: the normal range
Index figures come from Pepperstone's index fee table (August 2026 data, published on its Australian site). Averages blend calm and busy periods; a release can take the spread far past the average for a short time.
| Market | Account | Minimum | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Razor | 0.0 | 0.1 pips |
| EUR/USD | Standard | 1.0 | 1.1 pips |
| GER40 | Razor | 0.9 | 1 point |
| UK100 | Razor | 1 | 1.5 points |
| JPN225 | Razor | 7 | 7.4 points |
What widening does to a trade
Suppose EUR/USD normally costs 0.1 pips on Razor and, for the seconds after a release, widens to 2 pips; that 2 is an illustration, not a Pepperstone figure. A 1-lot market order at that moment pays $20 in spread instead of $1, plus the usual $7 commission. A stop-loss triggered by the spike fills on the wrong side of that wider spread, at the next available price.
Protecting positions around releases
- Check the economic calendar and decide before the release whether to be flat, smaller or protected.
- If you must hold through it, consider a guaranteed stop: Capital.com, IG, CMC Markets, Spreadex and FOREX.com UK publish them; Pepperstone does not.
- Avoid market orders in the first moments after a release while the quote is jumping; let it settle.
- Remember that at Pepperstone a stop triggers at your level but fills at the next available price.
- Retail negative balance protection caps the worst case at your account balance, not beyond it.
How Capital.com compares
Capital.com, our second choice in the UK, publishes no static EUR/USD spread in our data, so we cannot compare its widening either. Its advantage for news traders is the guaranteed stop-loss, which fixes your exit price for a charge. If you trade releases often and want certainty on the exit, that is a reason to keep an account there as well.
Sources
Published spreads and order terms.
Does Pepperstone widen spreads on purpose during news?
Pepperstone says its execution involves no dealer intervention, and Razor is priced from raw spreads. It does not publish how far spreads move around news, so check the live quote before trading a release.
Can widening trigger my stop even if the price never reaches it?
Yes. On MetaTrader a sell stop is triggered by the bid, so if the spread widens sharply the bid can touch your stop while the mid-price stays above it.
Are spread bets affected by news widening too?
Yes. A spread bet is still quoted as a bid and an offer; Pepperstone's EUR/USD spread bet minimum is 0.5 points, and around news the quote can be much wider.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex, leveraged instruments with a high risk of fast losses, and losses can be larger around news because prices gap and spreads widen. We publish broker-stated terms, not advice; check live pricing before you trade.