Zinc
Zinc is a base metal with a long history, both in industry and online trading. Its main uses today are in galvanization – the coating of iron or steel to prevent corrosion and oxidization, and in the production of alloys. To trade zinc profitably you need to understand market dynamics, investment vehicles, and strategy tips. This guide explains how to trade zinc, alongside rankings of the best brokers and platforms.
Top Zinc Brokers UK
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Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a highly regarded broker specialising in forex and CFDs. Serving more than 400,000 clients globally, it provides access to over 1,300 financial instruments through popular platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Its fee structure is both low and transparent. With regulation by reputable bodies such as the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, Pepperstone guarantees a safe trading environment for traders at every level.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto (only Pro clients), Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
Established in Poland in 2002, XTB caters to over a million clients worldwide. This forex and CFD broker offers a robust regulatory framework, a diverse range of assets, and prioritises trader satisfaction. It provides an intuitive proprietary platform equipped with excellent tools to support aspiring traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs on shares, Indices, ETFs, Raw Materials, Forex currencies, cryptocurrencies, Real shares, Real ETFs FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, Bappebti xStation Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
Founded in 2006, FxPro has built a reputation as a reliable non-dealing desk (NDD) broker, providing trading access across more than 2,100 markets to over 2 million clients globally. It has received over 100 industry awards, reflecting its favourable conditions for active traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Spread Betting FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB, FSA FxPro Edge, MT4, MT5, cTrader, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $100 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
eToro, a leading multi-asset platform, provides access to trading services across thousands of CFDs, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. Established in 2007, it boasts millions of active traders worldwide and is sanctioned by top-tier regulators such as the FCA and CySEC. It stands out for its extensive social trading feature. Crypto investments are unstable and carry risk. Tax implications might apply. Acknowledge the risks involved. 61% of retail CFD accounts incur losses.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSRA, MFSA, CNMV, AMF eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $50 $10 1:30 -
Eightcap, an acclaimed broker regulated by the FCA, offers exceptionally low trading costs. Recognised as the top-rated brand by TradingView's vast user base of 100 million, traders can directly access the platform. UK traders can open a live account with a minimum deposit of just £100.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB MT4, MT5, TradingView Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage £100 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
Fusion Markets, an online broker since 2017, operates under the regulation of ASIC, VFSC, and FSA. Renowned for offering cost-effective forex and CFD trading, it provides various account options and copy trading solutions to suit diverse trading needs. New clients can begin trading with a simple three-step registration process.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto ASIC, VFSC, FSA MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:500 -
Trade Nation is a leading FX and CFD broker regulated in the UK and Australia, among other places. The company provides competitively priced fixed and variable spreads on over 1,000 assets. Traders benefit from advanced platforms and comprehensive training materials. Additionally, the Signal Centre offers valuable trade ideas.
Instruments Regulator Platforms Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA MT4 Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.1 Lots 1:500 (entity dependent)
Safety Comparison
Compare how safe the Zinc are and what features they offer to protect traders.
Broker | Trust Rating | FCA Regulated | Negative Balance Protection | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Segregated Accounts |
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Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
XTB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
FXPro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
eToro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
Eightcap | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
Fusion Markets | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
Trade Nation | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
Payments Comparison
Compare which popular payment methods the Zinc support and whether they have trading accounts denominated in British Pounds (GBP).
Broker | GBP Account | Debit Card | Credit Card | Neteller | Skrill | Apple Pay |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
XTB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
FXPro | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
eToro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Eightcap | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Fusion Markets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Trade Nation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
Mobile Trading Comparison
How good are the Zinc at mobile trading using apps or other mobile interfaces.
Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pepperstone | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
XTB | iOS & Android | ✔ | ||
FXPro | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
eToro | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
Eightcap | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
Fusion Markets | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
Trade Nation | iOS & Android | ✘ |
Beginners Comparison
Are the Zinc good for beginner traders, that might want an affordable setup to get started, along with good support and educational resources?
Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Support Rating | Education Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
XTB | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
FXPro | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | ||
eToro | ✔ | $50 | $10 | ||
Eightcap | ✔ | £100 | 0.01 Lots | ||
Fusion Markets | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
Trade Nation | ✔ | $0 | 0.1 Lots |
Advanced Trading Comparison
Do the Zinc offer features that allow for more advanced trading strategies?
Broker | Automated Trading | Pro Account | Leverage | VPS | AI | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
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Pepperstone | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
XTB | Open API | ✔ | 1:30 | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
FXPro | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
eToro | Automate your trades via CopyTrader - follow profitable traders. Open and close trades automatically when they do. | ✘ | 1:30 | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
Eightcap | TradingView Bots | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
Fusion Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader | ✘ | 1:500 | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
Trade Nation | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:500 (entity dependent) | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Detailed Rating Comparison
Use this heatmap to compare our detailed ratings for all of the Zinc.
Broker | Trust | Platforms | Mobile | Assets | Fees | Accounts | Support | Research | Education |
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Pepperstone | |||||||||
XTB | |||||||||
FXPro | |||||||||
eToro | |||||||||
Eightcap | |||||||||
Fusion Markets | |||||||||
Trade Nation |
Our Take On Pepperstone
"Pepperstone is a premier trading platform, providing tight spreads, swift execution, and sophisticated charting tools for seasoned traders. Beginners benefit from no minimum deposit, comprehensive learning materials, and outstanding 24/7 support."
Pros
- The award-winning customer support can be accessed through phone, email, or live chat. During tests, response times have consistently been under 5 minutes.
- Pepperstone presents itself as an economical choice for traders, offering spreads as low as 0.0 in its Razor account. The Active Trader programme provides rebates up to 30% on indices and commodities, plus $3 per lot on forex.
- Over the years, Pepperstone has consistently garnered recognition from DayTrading.com’s annual awards. Recently, it was honoured as the 'Best Overall Broker' in 2025 and was the 'Best Forex Broker' runner-up the same year.
Cons
- Pepperstone's demo accounts expire after 30 days, which may not provide sufficient time to explore various platforms and evaluate trading strategies.
- Pepperstone doesn't offer cTrader Copy, a favoured feature for copying trades found in the cTrader platform, which is available on other platforms such as IC Markets. However, Pepperstone has launched its own user-friendly copy trading app.
- Although its market range has improved, its crypto offerings remain limited compared to brokers specialising in this sector, lacking real coin investment options.
Our Take On XTB
"XTB emerges as an ideal option for novice traders, offering the impressive xStation platform, zero commission pricing, no required minimum deposit, and outstanding educational resources, many of which are conveniently integrated into the platform."
Pros
- XTB offers a superb array of educational resources, such as training videos and articles, embedded within the platform to assist traders of all experience levels.
- Setting up an XTB account is straightforward and fully online, requiring only a few minutes. This simplicity eases new traders into the world of trading.
- The xStation platform stands out with its user-friendly design and intuitive tools, such as adaptable news feeds, sentiment heatmaps, and a trader calculator. These features streamline the learning process for new traders.
Cons
- It is frustrating that XTB products do not allow traders to modify the default leverage level. Manually adjusting leverage can greatly reduce risk in forex and CFD trading.
- Trading fees are competitive, with average EUR/USD spreads of about 1 pip. However, they are not as low as the most affordable brokers, such as IC Markets. Additionally, an inactivity fee applies after a year.
- XTB lacks a raw spread account, a feature increasingly offered by competitors such as Pepperstone. This omission might not satisfy traders seeking the most competitive spreads.
Our Take On FXPro
"FxPro is an excellent choice for traders, offering swift execution speeds under 12ms, reduced fees since 2022, and outstanding charting platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and FxPro Edge."
Pros
- FxPro uses a 'No Dealing Desk' (NDD) model for swift and transparent order execution, usually within 12 milliseconds, making it well-suited for short-term trading strategies.
- FxPro provides four dependable charting platforms, including the user-friendly FxPro Edge. It features more than 50 indicators, 7 types of charts, and 15 different timeframes.
- FxPro's Wallet is a notable feature enabling traders to securely manage their funds. It ensures additional protection and ease by separating unused funds from active trading accounts.
Cons
- FxPro offers customer support five days a week around the clock, accessible via various platforms, and the service quality is reliable based on tests. However, the absence of weekend support can be a drawback for traders requiring help beyond standard market times.
- FxPro, with its $10M funded demo account and expanding Knowledge Hub, mainly caters to experienced traders. Beginners might find its account and fee structure challenging to understand.
- There are no passive investment options such as copy trading or interest on cash. While traders might not find these essential, competitors like eToro, which accommodate both active and passive investors, offer more extensive services.
Our Take On eToro
"eToro's social trading platform excels with its outstanding user experience and lively community chat, aiding beginners in spotting opportunities. It offers competitive fees on numerous CFDs and real stocks, alongside exceptional rewards for seasoned strategists."
Pros
- There is an extensive online training academy offering a range of accessible resources, from concise articles to detailed courses.
- Diverse investment portfolios are accessible, encompassing traditional markets, technology, cryptocurrency, and beyond for traders.
- eToro is a globally recognised brand, operating under top-tier international regulations. It boasts a community of over 25 million users.
Cons
- The minimum withdrawal is set at $30, accompanied by a $5 fee. This may impact traders with limited funds, particularly those just starting out.
- There are no assured stop-loss orders, which could be a valuable risk management tool for novice traders.
- The only significant contact option, besides the in-platform live chat, is limited.
Our Take On Eightcap
"Eightcap excels for traders, offering diverse charting platforms, educational Labs, and AI tools. With over 120 crypto CFDs, it stands out in crypto trading and has won our 'Best Crypto Broker' award twice consecutively."
Pros
- Eightcap has excelled in all essential trading areas, surpassing all rivals to clinch our 'Best Overall Broker' award for 2024. It also earned the titles of 'Best Crypto Broker' and 'Best TradingView Broker' for 2025.
- With spreads starting at 0 pips, minimal commission charges, and leverage up to 1:500 for select clients, Eightcap delivers affordable and flexible trading opportunities. These conditions suit various strategies, such as trading and scalping.
- Eightcap excels with a suite of advanced trading tools, such as MT4 and MT5, and has recently joined the 100-million-user social trading network, TradingView.
Cons
- The demo account is available for 30 days, after which it requires a request for extension. This is less convenient than XM's offering, which provides an unlimited demo mode.
- Despite a helpful array of educational guides and e-books in Labs, Eightcap lags behind IG's extensive resources for aspiring traders. IG boasts a dedicated Academy app and features 18 diverse course categories.
- Eightcap must enhance its range of over 800 instruments to rival top competitors like Blackbull Markets, which offers 26,000+ assets, especially improving its limited commodities selection.
Our Take On Fusion Markets
"Fusion Markets offers forex traders competitive pricing with minimal spreads, low commissions, and new TradingView integration. It is an excellent choice, especially for Australian traders, given its base and regulation by ASIC."
Pros
- The selection of charting platforms and social trading features is outstanding. Options like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and the newer TradingView meet diverse trader preferences.
- Fusion Markets provides exceptional support, characterised by rapid, friendly, and efficient responses. Unlike other platforms, it doesn't utilise automated chatbots, ensuring traders experience a seamless interaction.
- The market analysis tools, Market Buzz and Analyst Views, are excellent for identifying opportunities and are seamlessly incorporated into the client dashboard.
Cons
- The demo account, lasting only 30 days, is limited in its effectiveness as a trading tool when used with a live account.
- Fusion Market falls short compared to competitors like IG in education, offering few guides and live video sessions for enhancing trader skills.
- The broker stands out with its extensive selection of currency pairs, surpassing most competitors. However, its alternative investment options are merely average, lacking stock CFDs outside the US.
Our Take On Trade Nation
"Trade Nation is ideal for novice traders seeking diverse markets on an easy-to-use platform. It offers no minimum deposit, complimentary funding options, and robust educational resources."
Pros
- A variety of trading platforms and apps, such as MT4, make the brand suitable for experienced traders.
- Access a comprehensive selection of investments through leveraged CFDs, enabling both long and short strategies.
- The trading firm provides narrow spreads and a clear pricing structure.
Cons
- Reduced legal safeguards with an offshore entity.
Zinc Trading Basics
Zinc trading is essentially the purchase and sale of the industrial metal, however, the cost and difficulties of transporting and storing the hard commodity mean that the majority of traders prefer indirect exposure to the metal.
This can be achieved via stocks, CFDs, futures, options, and other financial instruments. These are accessed principally via online brokers.
Whilst there is a growing industry in zinc recycling, the majority of its production is through ore mining and smelting.
The leading global producers, in order of quantity, are China, Peru, Australia, India and the United States. Other major producers include Mexico, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, and Sweden.
Zinc is primarily consumed in China. This is driven by galvanization needs in the development of material infrastructure. As a result, many believe that trading zinc is effectively speculating on the prosperity of China.
History
Zinc price charts show a mostly upwards trend from the early 1970s onwards.
Pronounced growth, along with considerable price fluctuation is visible from May 2005. Since then, the peak value came in June 2005 ($1211.50/Tonne), whilst troughs have included January 2009 ($1075/Tonne), December 2015 ($1607/Tonne), and April 2020 ($1930.25/Tonne).
The picture then is of market volatility. As such, investors will need to have their ear to the ground for market trends if they are to be profitable in trading zinc.
Why Trade Zinc?
Two principal reasons to trade zinc are contingent upon the international economic outlook:
If the global economy expands, demand for zinc typically increases due to the role it plays in galvanization, alloy production and other uses in industry and construction. This leads to zinc price increases, particularly if accompanied by any hiccups in the supply chain.
Similarly, there can be wisdom in investing in zinc in circumstances of a weak dollar and high inflation (or fear thereof). In such conditions, the US Federal Reserve Bank keeps interest rates low to encourage borrowing and spending. This can be good for base metal prices and encourages investment in zinc as a hedge.
A third reason to trade zinc is to diversify portfolios. If most of your assets take the form of stocks and bonds, adding a commodity such as zinc broadens your trading ground and thus reduces your overall risk.
Today’s Price Chart
What Moves Zinc Prices?
Numerous factors affect the price of zinc, including:
Demand From Major Consumers
The principal consumers of zinc are China and the US. Changes to demand in these zones have a major impact on the value of zinc.
The relative strength and weakness of major consumers’ economies affect demand for the metal. A strong economy means investment in construction and infrastructure, which increases demand for galvanised steel.
An eye on the economies of the US and China will give traders helpful indications.
Global Supply
The stock of zinc available at a given point in time varies, impacting prices. These fluctuations may be precipitated by strikes, recessions, energy cost changes and natural disasters. Announcements by mining operators are likely to prompt action by traders.
Inventories of global stocks of zinc are available from the London Metal Exchange (LME) and Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE).
Geopolitical Factors
The formation of cooperative alliances between prime movers in the mining industry can have large effects on the global market.
If China’s state-owned mining company, for example, forms an investment fund with a Russian-controlled entity, an economic power base is created. Alternatively, if the world mining powerhouses (the BRICS countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) continue in competition with one another, the global market structure retains its stability.
Prices In Related Industries
Energy sources such as coal, oil and electricity are used in the production of zinc. Their prices too will impact the supply of zinc, and consequently its price.
Zinc Outlook
Whilst the multiple industrial uses of zinc arguably make it a reliable resource for the future, analysts differ in their view over the stability of its price into the future. Some see competition to its price in the substitution of aluminium, while others see such substitution as gradual and not destabilising.
In addition, market volatility due to the war in Ukraine leads to analysts’ reluctance to make long-term forecasts.
Environmental policies are a further factor to consider when looking at the future of zinc. Climate change is creating global scrutiny of the environmental effects of industry. This certainly applies to zinc mining. Anti-pollution measures in China, for instance, have led to the shutdown of over half of the lead and zinc mines in certain areas.
As the metal is still needed, however, cleaner methods of mining are being developed. These include renewable energy, surface mining technologies and water reclamation. These represent trends for the trader to consider when evaluating medium and long-term forecasts.
How To Trade Zinc
There are multiple vehicles available from online brokers for zinc trading:
Futures
These are contracts a trader makes with a broker to buy zinc for a certain price in the future. If the trader reads the market correctly, they agree to a contract that works to their advantage.
Futures are available on major exchanges, such as the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).
CFDs
CFDs, or contracts for difference, allow traders to take a position on whether the price of zinc will rise or fall. The trader earns or pays the final difference, and has the freedom to close their position when they see fit.
CFDs have the advantage of allowing a relatively low initial outlay, which can be used with leverage. This means a multiplication of potential gains and losses.
Shares
Stocks can be traded in companies involved in the production of zinc. Popular zinc stocks include:
- Teck Resources Lt – A Canadian-based mining company and one of the biggest zinc producers in the world
- South 32 – One of Australia’s biggest mining companies, listed on principal global exchanges
- Vale – A Brazilian mining company with operations in around 30 countries
- Glencore – Owns a large collection of mining assets around the world
ETFs
ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, combine various assets, such as other metals and commodities.
ETFs can then be bought and sold like regular company shares. They offer advantages in terms of flexibility, simplicity and access to leverage.
Bullion
This oldest form of metal trading involves the purchase and sale of physical zinc in the form of bars, ingots or coins.
It is not popular with most retail traders due to the costs and difficulties of security, storage and transportation.
Comparing Zinc Brokers
Key areas to assess brokers with zinc trading include:
- FCA Regulation – The safest way to trade zinc in the UK is via FCA-regulated brokers. Authorised brokerages are legitimate firms with safeguarding measures like segregated accounts and limits on leverage.
- Market Access – Check the broker provides access to major zinc exchanges. These include the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).
- Trading Vehicles – Consider the zinc trading products available, from CFDs and ETFs to futures and shares in companies involved in zinc mining and production.
- Trading Platforms – Look for a user-friendly and efficient platform. MT4, MT5 and cTrader are popular apps. Check for features that allow you to analyse and track zinc prices, including real-time price charts, technical analysis tools and integrated news streams.
- Demo Account – Beginners may want to look for zinc brokers that offer a demo account. This will allow users to test different zinc trading strategies before risking real money.
Benefits Of Trading Zinc
- Diversification – Metals don’t generally correlate to other asset classes. As a result, a diverse portfolio that includes zinc can provide insulation from shocks that affect other investments.
- Correlation to Economic Strength – Where it is clear that an economy is in growth, there is likely to be a high demand for the zinc required for construction and infrastructure.
- Volatility – Issues affecting supply and demand lend themselves to volatility in the zinc market. This volatility means that those who track developments closely, and have effective trading strategies, can turn this volatility to their advantage.
Risks Of Trading Zinc
- Chinese Influence – As China is both a major consumer and producer of zinc, its ability to release its own production to feed its own market could have a large impact on the global market.
- Volatility – Just as high volatility can lead to large profits, it can also result in significant losses if the market moves against you. As a result, trading zinc can be risky.
Zinc Trading Hours
Opening hours for zinc vary depending upon the exchange where it is traded. The London Metal Exchange (LME) opens from 1.00 am to 7.00 pm GMT Monday to Friday. Within these hours there is a schedule for kerb, open outcry, and ring trading.
These hours are subject to change, with numerous market holidays. Details can be checked on the LME website.
Other global exchanges operate at different hours. Zinc brokers too may set their own hours according to the relevant exchanges.
Bottom Line On Zinc Trading
Zinc is a commodity that has ongoing value for the part it plays in construction and urban development. A degree of security can also be provided by including zinc in a diverse trading portfolio. The metal does see relative volatility, however, so trading zinc is risky and requires a sensible approach to money management. Sign up with one of the best zinc brokers to start investing in the industrial metal.
FAQ
How Can I Trade Zinc?
Various vehicles are available from brokers to trade zinc. Exposure to zinc via shares in mining companies forms part of these vehicles. Mining companies to consider include Teck, Glencore and Vale. Other zinc trading products include futures, CFDs, and ETFs.
Is Zinc Valuable?
Zinc price movements exhibit some independence from fluctuations affecting other markets. In this scenario, zinc can help provide a level of stability in diverse portfolios. Zinc can also be used as a hedging tool during market downturns and a weak US dollar. In addition, zinc trading is attractive for investors looking to speculate on a strengthening global economy.
Is Zinc Trading Easy?
Zinc is relatively volatile and there are no guarantees that you will make money. As an ETF within a broad portfolio, however, there is some protection in that the fund can also have exposure to other assets. Active traders may prefer CFDs on the industrial metal, catering to short-term trading strategies with leverage and widespread availability at online brokers.