Trading Info

Trading just got smarter – Join the revolution

Start your investment journey

Stay up to date with the latest trading information

Trading with confidence and full transparency is of paramount importance to us at 3Sigma Markets and it is for this reason that we have provided our client base with a comprehensive information pack covering all aspects of trading. Find all the required trading information you will need, including rates, spreads, leverage, trading conditions and charges, economic calendar, plus much more.

Trading Info – How We Can Help You

How do I apply for a trading account?

You can simply complete our online application, please visit our Online Application section here.

Do I need to open a separate account to trade the CFD and/or Spread Betting products?

With 3Sigma Markets you can open up a CFD account or a Spread Betting account or an account that contains both. All products offered by 3sigma Markets can be traded on either account. If you are a resident of the UK or Ireland, a Spread Betting account is the more tax efficient way to trade. 

How long does it take for the application to get processed?

Depending on the account type and the necessary documents obtained, on average an individual and joint account takes 1-2 business days and a corporate account takes 3-5 business days.

What documents are required to process the application?

To view the documents required to open an account, please visit our Account Application section.

Once my live account is approved, what is the next step?

Once you have received our welcome email with the approval notice, you now have the ability to fund your account by debit/credit card, bank wire, Union Pay or Skrill Wallet.

How do I access my Back Office?

From the 3Sigma Markets homepage, you can click on “MyAccount”, once the back office login window appears, use your live account credentials to login.

What currencies are available for depositing funds?

You can fund your account in a US Dollars, Euros or Sterling.

What methods are available for depositing funds?

You can fund your account by debit/credit card, bank wire, Union Pay or Skrill Wallet.

What are the fees for depositing and withdrawing funds?

To view the deposit/withdrawal fees, please visit the Rate Schedule .

What happens if I send funds in a currency that is different from my trading account?

If funds are sent in a currency other than the denomination of that of your trading account, the bank will automatically convert it to the denominated currency at an exchange rate specified by them, which may not necessarily be favourable. In order to avoid this it is in your interests to send funds in the denomination of your account.

What is the next step once the funds are deposited to my account?

Once your trading account has been funded, the accounts department will email you your login credentials to the email address on file and you can begin your investment journey with us.

How can I withdraw my funds?

To request a withdrawal of funds, visit your My Account page and click on “Withdraw Funds”. Your request will be processed within one to two business days.

What is the difference between an agency model and a market maker model?

We are an ECN and agency based broker. So what does this mean for our clients? – We provide you with direct access to the financial markets and we do NOT take the other side of our client’s trades. This ensures there is no conflict of interest between ourselves and our clients. Unfortunately this conflict of interest is present between clients and the majority of their brokers out there. ECN aggregation ensures the tightest spreads for our traders through our top tier banks and non-bank liquidity providers.

What are the market hours for the Forex?

The Forex market is open from Sunday at 21.05 PM GMT to Friday at 20:59 PM GMT. This time may change due to holiday schedules.

What are the market hours for the Metals?

The Metals market is open from Sunday at 22.00 PM GMT and closes each day at 21.00 PM GMT and re-opens at 22.00 PM GMT. On Friday the market closes at 21.00 PM GMT and re-opens on Sunday.

What are the margins needed for trading?

See section on margins

What is the minimum and maximum lot size that I can trade?

Our minimum lot size to trade is 0.01 (1,000) with no maximum trade size. If there are enough funds in the account to cover the margin required, the account has the ability to trade larger lot sizes.

What is the leverage that is offered?

The trading leverage is set to: Under FCA regulation.

30:1 for major currency pairs

20:1 for non-major currency pairs, gold and major indices

10:1 for silver and other commodities

The trading leverage is set to: Under CIMA regulation.

200:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes below 100,000.

100:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes above 100,000.

**Please remember despite all the opportunities the financial markets may provide, there is always a high level of risk – please only use risk capital and be informed about the products you are trading.

Do you offer the MT4 software on mobile?

Yes, we offer the MT4 mobile for live accounts.

Can I add an expert advisor or an indicator on the MT4?

Yes, you can add EA’s and indicators on the MT4. Testing of an EA or Indicator can be done using a demo account.

What are your spreads?

As we provide ECN pricing, the spreads are variable and not fixed. In order to view live market spreads, you can request a demo account. As an ECN broker aggregation ensures the tightest spreads for our traders through our top tier banks and non-bank liquidity providers.

Do you charge a commission?

 We aim to provide our clients with the tight spreads through direct market access reducing transaction costs – we charge the following commissions –

*Professional accounts enjoy higher leverage, institutional grade spreads and liquidity, direct market access through our ECN brokerage model and commissions of $0.30 per mini contract (10,000) traded. 

** Retail accounts enjoy trading leverage, institutional grade spreads and liquidity, direct market access through out ECN brokerage model and commissions of $0.50 per mini contract (10,000) traded.

Are stop losses and take profits guaranteed?

Stop losses and Take profits are not guaranteed to fill at your specified price. As these types of orders are sent as a market order, depending on market volatility, you may incur positive or negative slippage.

Can slippage occur on trades?

Yes, negative or positive slippage can occur depending on market conditions.

When is the trade desk available?

Our Trade Desk is available 24 hours a day over the phone; service is available during standard market hours.

What are roll-over fees?

A swap charge of a credit or debit for each position open at 5 pm EST is applied directly to your trading account balance. To account for Saturday and Sunday, the forex market books three days of swap rate on Wednesdays, which makes a typical Wednesday rollover three times the amount from another weekday. The Roll Over Swap rates can be viewed from accessing your MyAccount section.

What are the margins for retail accounts under FCA regulation?

The trading leverage is set to 30:1 for major currency pairs; 20:1 for non-major currency pairs, gold and major indices; 10:1 for silver and other commodities.
The following is a set of examples that provide an explanation on the margin based on different base currency pairs.


USD Base Currency

Lot Size / Leverage = Margin
 10,000 / 30 = 333 USD (30:1 leverage)
 10,000 / 20 = 500 USD (20:1 leverage)

 USD Non-Base Currency
 (Current Market Quote ×Lot Size) / Leverage = Margin
 (1.12262 x 10,000) / 30 = 374.20 USD (30:1 leverage)
 (1.12262 x 10,000) / 20 = 561.31 USD (20:1 leverage)

 Non-USD Cross Currency
 Current Market Quote × Lot Size) = Currency Quote

 The sample below is based on a market quote of 134.745 for EURJPY.

 We also obtained the market quote for USDJPY (119.721) and EURUSD (1.13548).
 134.745 x 10,000 = 1,347,450 JPY

 JPY Currency Quote / USDJPY market quote = USD Currency Quote

1,347,450 / 119.721 = 11,254.91 USD

 EURUSD market quote x Lot Size = 2nd USD Currency Quote
 1.13548 x 10,000 = 11,354.80 USD

 Largest USD Currency Quote / Leverage = Margin
 11,354.80 / 30 = 378.49 USD (30:1 leverage)
 11,354.80 / 20 = 567.74 USD (20:1 leverage)

What are the margins for professional accounts under FCA regulation?

The trading leverage is set to 100:1.
The following is a set of examples that provide an explanation on the margin based on different base currency pairs.

USD Base Currency

Lot Size / Leverage = Margin
10,000 / 100 = 100 USD (100:1 leverage)

USD Non-Base Currency

(Current Market Quote ×Lot Size) / Leverage = Margin
(1.12262 x 10,000) / 100 = 112.26 USD (100:1 leverage)

Non-USD Cross Currency

Current Market Quote × Lot Size) = Currency Quote

The sample below is based on a market quote of 134.745 for EURJPY.

We also obtained the market quote for USDJPY (119.721) and EURUSD (1.13548).
134.745 x 10,000 = 1,347,450 JPY

JPY Currency Quote / USDJPY market quote = USD Currency Quote
1,347,450 / 119.721 = 11,254.91 USD

EURUSD market quote x Lot Size = 2nd USD Currency Quote
1.13548 x 10,000 = 11,354.80 USD

Largest USD Currency Quote / Leverage = Margin
11,354.80 / 100 = 113.54 USD (100:1 leverage)

What are the margins?

The trading leverage is set to:

200:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes below 100,000.

100:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes above 100,000.

The following is a set of examples that provide an explanation on the margin based on different base currency pairs.

 USD Base Currency

Lot Size / Leverage = Margin
10,000 / 100 = 100 USD (100:1 leverage)

USD Non-Base Currency

(Current Market Quote × Lot Size) / Leverage = Margin
(1.12262 x 10,000) / 100 = 112.26 USD (100:1 leverage)

Non-USD Cross Currency

Current Market Quote × Lot Size) = Currency Quote

The sample below is based on a market quote of 134.745 for EURJPY.

We also obtained the market quote for USDJPY (119.721) and EURUSD (1.13548).
134.745 x 10,000 = 1,347,450 JPY

JPY Currency Quote / USDJPY market quote = USD Currency Quote
1,347,450 / 119.721 = 11,254.91 USD

EURUSD market quote x Lot Size = 2nd USD Currency Quote
1.13548 x 10,000 = 11,354.80 USD

Largest USD Currency Quote / Leverage = Margin
11,354.80 / 100 = 113.54 USD (100:1 leverage)

What is your notification level on the MT4 platform?

The notification level is set to 100% on the MetaTrader 4 software. If you margin reaches 100%, the software will show a red banner indication which provides a visual notification.

What is your liquidation level on the MT4 platform?

The liquidation level is set to 50% on the MetaTrader 4 software. If your margin reaches 50%, the software will begin to liquidate the position that has the highest losing amount.

Why are the charts not populating on the MT4 window?

If you cannot view the charts, first make sure you are connected to the MT4 platform. If you are connected, you can first try to update the charts by right clicking in the chart window and selecting “Refresh”. You can also drag the desired currency pair onto the chart window to load the data.

What does “Invalid Account” mean on the MT4?

This means that the username or password was entered incorrectly, or the incorrect server was selected for the account.

What does “No connection” mean on the MT4?

This can mean the account was logged out and will need to be logged back in or that something is blocking the connection to the server, such as a firewall or antivirus.

What does “No Money” mean on the MT4?

This means that there are not sufficient funds in the trading account to place the lot size specified as the margin required exceeds the contract size placed.

What does “SO” mean in the comment field  on the MT4 platform?

This means Stop Out, this will occur when the margin level reaches 100% and the open position(s) get liquidated.

Trading Conditions

Spreads

  • All Spread are Over Market

  • FX Standard Spreads are as stated under Normal Market Conditions

  • FX Pairs may not be tradable shortly before and after End-of-Day (22:00 GMT or 21:00 GMT during US DST) – due to liquidity constraints during the interbank settlement period

  • Gold & Silver spreads may be wider that stated from approx. 22:00 – 02:00 GMT

  • Crude & Brent Oil spreads may be wider than stated from approx. 22:00 – 05:00 GMT

  • Crude Oil spreads may be wider during weekly inventories

  • PIP FX Pairs = 0.0001; 1 PIP JPY FX Pairs = 0.01

  • Typical Spreads are derived from the median value of the respective spreads during trading hours (07:00 – 18:00 GMT) from a previous quarter

  • As we provide ECN pricing, the spreads are variable and not fixed

  • As an ECN broker aggregation ensures the tightest spreads for our traders through our top tier banks and non-bank liquidity providers

3 sigma markets

Join The Revolution

Register Now

Holiday Trading Hours

At 3Sigma Markets we offer a truly global service to our client base, with dedicated account managers and 24 hr order desk. If the markets are open, you can trade them with 3Sigma Markets and you can get in touch with us directly by phone or email. Alternatively, keep in touch via our social media channels. There are however occasions throughout the year when we all need some rest and relaxation and these global/local holidays will take even the most enthusiastic trader away from his/her desk. It is very important to be aware of these breaks in the calendar for your trading activity and to ensure that you are up-to-date.

General Trading Hours

  • Opening  – Sunday 21:00 GMT

  • Closing – Friday 21:00 GMT

Order Types

Placing an ‘’Order’’ with 3Sigma Markets allows a trader to interact with the global financial markets. They allow a trader to enter into or exit a trade in a specific asset class. There are many different types of orders that can be placed in the market. You can choose to execute a trade at the current market price. Alternatively, you can create a conditional order to execute a trade at a future market price, above or below the current market rate. Read about the order types available on Metatrader 4.

Market Orders

This by far the most common order type used by traders in the markets. A market order is an order to buy or sell a financial asset at the current price. When executed, it results into an open position in the market. Your market order will be executed in real-time.

Pending Orders

Unlike market orders, pending orders are an instruction to buy or sell a financial asset at a specified price which is either above or below the current market price. Once the order has been created by the client the trading platform will execute the said order when the set price objectives have been achieved. Examples of pending orders are:

  1. Limit Orders – Limit orders are used when traders expect a better price than the current piece in the market. A buy limit is a pending order to buy an asset at a lower price than is currently prevailing in the market, whereas a sell limit is a pending order to sell an asset at a higher price than the current market price.
  2. Stop Orders – Stop orders can be used by traders to manage their exposure to the financial markets. Stop orders are used to buy or sell an asset when the price reaches a specific level in the markets. When the market reaches the level of the stop loss order, it becomes a market order and is executed on behalf of the trader. A buy stop is a pending order to buy an asset at a price higher than the current one, whereas a sell stop is a pending order to sell an asset at a price lower than the current one.

Take Profit and Stop Loss Orders

These types of orders are used by traders to manage their risk in the financial markets. They are used to exit a pre-existing trade position at a predetermined level in the markets.

Take Profit orders are designed for booking profits on a trade position when a certain price is achieved, while Stop Loss orders are intended for minimising losses at a defined price point when the asset price moves in an unprofitable direction. Take Profit and Stop Loss orders are attached on both market orders and pending orders.

One Cancels the Other Order (OCO)

One Cancels the Other Orders (OCOs) are conditional orders that combine two entry orders. OCOs stipulate that when one order is triggered, the other order is cancelled automatically, ensuring only one position is in the market. This type of order aids a trader with risk management and can be a very effective trading strategy.

Start your investment journey

Make a step towards financial freedom

Register Your Account
3 sigma markets