For trading indices in the UAE, our pick is Pepperstone: it charges no commission on index CFDs, lists the US 30, NAS100, US 500, GER40, UK100, HK50 and VIX, and opens major US indices nearly around the clock on weekdays. Capital.com is the alternative, with 35+ index CFDs and 24/5 trading on selected indices.
Short answer: Index CFDs let you trade a whole stock market with one position; the costs are the spread and the overnight financing.
Pepperstone index CFDs carry no commission; spreads and swaps are the cost.
Pepperstone's US500 and US30 trade from 01:00 to 23:59 server time Monday to Thursday.
Pepperstone lists VIX, HK50, JPN225, AUS200, CN50 and CA60 alongside the US and European majors.
Capital.com offers 35+ index CFDs and 24/5 trading on indices such as US Tech 100, US 500, Germany 40, UK 100 and Hong Kong 50.
Pepperstone quotes its hours in server time, which is GMT+3 during US daylight saving and GMT+2 otherwise, so UAE time (GMT+4) is one or two hours ahead. The US cash session runs from 16:30 to 23:00 server time, and the index CFD keeps trading well beyond it.
That suits UAE traders who want to react to US earnings after work. Spreads are usually widest outside the cash session, so check the live quote before trading late at night.
Best for indices
No commission on index CFDs, US, European and Asian benchmarks plus VIX, and long weekday trading hours.
Pepperstone, Capital.com and XS are our partners. We may earn a commission if you open an account through our links. That does not change the facts on this page.
Your questions, answered
What is the best broker for trading the US30?
For the US 30, which tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, we pick Pepperstone. It trades from 01:00 to 23:59 server time on weekdays, carries no commission and runs on all five of its platforms. Capital.com and XS also list it, so compare spreads at the time you usually trade.
What is the best broker for trading the NASDAQ 100?
Pepperstone is our pick for the NASDAQ 100, which it lists as NAS100. Tech-heavy indices react sharply to results from a handful of large companies, so check the earnings calendar. Capital.com's version, US Tech 100, trades 24/5 if you want to react to news before the US open.
Which brokers offer S&P 500 CFDs with the lowest spreads?
Pepperstone, Capital.com and XS all offer the S&P 500 as a CFD (US500 or US 500), with no commission, so the spread is your entry cost. None publishes a single fixed minimum we could compare, and spreads change between the cash session and overnight. Compare live quotes shortly after the US open, which is 17:30 UAE time in summer and 18:30 in winter, when liquidity is deepest.
Which brokers let you trade indices outside normal market hours?
Capital.com offers 24/5 trading on selected index CFDs, from Sunday to Friday, priced from live futures markets. Pepperstone's US indices trade almost all day on weekdays, and it also lists pre-market and after-hours sessions for US shares. Outside regular hours liquidity is thinner, so use limit orders.
What is the best broker for trading the FTSE 100?
Pepperstone, which lists the FTSE 100 as UK100, is our pick; its CFD trades from about 03:00 to 22:59 server time on weekdays. Capital.com's UK 100 is part of its 24/5 index range, and XS lists UK100 too. The FTSE is heavy in energy, mining and banks, so oil and metal prices move it.
Which brokers let you trade VIX CFDs?
Pepperstone lists a VIX CFD with weekday hours from 01:00 to 23:59 server time, and Capital.com lists its Volatility Index among its index CFDs. The VIX measures expected volatility in the S&P 500 and can spike suddenly, so it is a hedging and short-term tool rather than an investment. XS's index list did not include the VIX when we checked.
What is the best broker for trading the DAX?
For the DAX, listed as GER40 at Pepperstone, we pick Pepperstone, with weekday hours from 02:15 to 22:59 server time and no commission. Capital.com calls it Germany 40 and offers it 24/5, and XS calls it DE40. The German cash market opens at about 11:00 or 12:00 UAE time, depending on the season, which suits traders before the US session.
Which brokers offer the cheapest index CFDs?
Index CFDs are commission-free at Pepperstone, Capital.com and XS's Standard and Pro accounts, so cost comes down to the spread and overnight financing. If you hold index positions for weeks, the financing charge usually costs more than the spread. Capital.com publishes its long and short overnight rates per index, which makes that cost easy to estimate.
Which brokers let you trade the Hang Seng?
Pepperstone offers the Hang Seng as HK50, and Capital.com as Hong Kong 50, which it includes in its 24/5 range. Pepperstone also lists an HK50 futures CFD and a Hang Seng TECH CFD (HSTECH). The index closes on Hong Kong public holidays, which Pepperstone lists in advance on its trading-hours page.
Published 2026-10-21. Informational only, not investment advice. CFDs are leveraged products and most retail accounts lose money.
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