Stock Indices Trading for Beginner Traders

Setting up Demo Practice Account and MT4 Indices Trading Platform

To start indices trading a beginner trader will need to set up a practice indices trading account which they can practice indices trading with before opening a real stock indices trading account. A practice account commonly referred to as a demo stock indices trading account is a indices trading account provided by a broker so that a beginner trader can learn to execute stock indices trades risk free and at the same time learn the indices trading platform of the broker.

Learn Indices Trading for Beginner Traders

Before you learn the MT4 platform, you will need to download and install the MT4 platform on your computer.

After downloading the MT4 platform, you will need to log into your stock indices trading practice account that you registered with your stock indices trading broker. Register a demo stock indices trading account. Once you log into your demo stock indices trading account the MT4 platform will look like the screen shot examples explained & illustrated below.

Explanation

Toolbars - MetaTrader 4 toolbars are used to setup the indices tools within MetaTrader 4 platform

Market watch - Show stock indices trading price quotes, stock indices quotes of indices trading instruments

Data Window Panel - Shows Indices Trading Account Data

Charts panel - Shows indices charts

Charts Tabs - Shows open indices charts in tabs

Terminal - Shows Summary of indices account balance and open trades

Connection - Shows if the platform software is connected to the broker or not

Exchange Rates - Shows stock indices chart indices trading prices in the form of a graph and also the current stock indices trading price on a stock indices chart.

Now that as a beginner trader you know what each window of the indices trading platform represents, let’s look at the charts tool-bar that is mostly used when trading with MetaTrader 4 software.

On the charts Navigation Menu there are various Tabs

Menu Bar

File - Open an account, Log into account

View - select tool bars to view

Insert - Insert indices trading tools such as indices trend lines & other stock indices chart indicators

Stock Indices Trading Chart - Change Indices Chart settings

Tools - Change MT4 platform settings

Window - View a stock indices chart window for any indices trading instrument or for a different chart time-frame

Help - Topics which explain the documentation of the MetaTrader 4 software

Tool Bars

Tool-bars are used for quick access to MT4 indices trading tools. Each toolbar has a name that represents the types of indices trading tools for that toolbar. As a trader you will have to explore by clicking these buttons to learn what each indices trading tool is used for. Generally, hovering the mouse pointer over a button will name what the button does.

You can also learn how to customize each toolbar on the indices trading platform from the Learn Indices Trading for Beginners

MT4 Indices Trading Platform Guide.