Markets
ETFs: what it is, what moves it and how to study it
What it is, what moves it, when it moves and how to practice it on demo before thinking about a live account.
What it is
The market in a sentence
CFDs on exchange-traded funds that track whole indices or sectors.
Instruments HFM lists
- SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
- Invesco QQQ
- iShares Russell 1000
- SPDR sector ETFs
Examples taken from HFM's specification tables on October 26, 2026. The instruments available depend on the account type.
See the ETFs conditions on hfm.com →What to study
To understand diversification: a single instrument with dozens or hundreds of companies behind it.
Be clear on this
Diversifying reduces the risk of one company, not market risk: in a general sell-off everything falls.
What moves it
Three forces worth watching
Their components
An ETF moves with the companies it holds: an S&P 500 ETF reflects the index's 500 companies.
The sector or index it tracks
A sector ETF depends on that sector's news.
Sentiment and flows
When a lot of money enters or leaves a type of fund, the price reflects it.
Sessions
When it moves
They follow the hours of the exchange where the fund is listed (for example, the US one).
The exact hours of each instrument are published by HFM and can change.
Live chart
Watch it now
TradingView chart for educational purposes. Prices may differ from those on your HFM platform. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Practice
How to practice it on demo
Compare a broad ETF (like SPY) with a large stock on the same data day, and note which moved more and why.
- 01
Open a demo account
It is free and uses no real money. Request it with the button on this page.
- 02
Mark levels on the daily chart
Support and resistance from the last few weeks. That way you arrive at each session with a map.
- 03
Calculate the size before trading
Use Arco's calculators to set how much you risk per trade; on demo it counts too.
- 04
Write everything down for a week
What you saw, what you did and what happened. The journal is what gets studied, not the balance.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about ETFs
What is an ETF?
A fund that is listed on an exchange and tracks an index, a sector or a basket of assets. One instrument represents many companies.
Does diversifying remove risk?
It reduces the risk of one specific company, not of the whole market. In a general fall, almost everything falls.
Keep exploring
The other markets
Pick this market and watch it for a week on demo.
It is the first exercise of module 3: mark levels every day and write down what happened.