Introduction to MT5 Interface

The following screen shot below shows the main MT5 platform inter-face. As a beginner trader trying to learn how to execute stock indices orders in the online stock indices market, the main tool for trading the stock indices trading market is the MetaTrader 5 platform software. This MT5 platform is the software which you will connect to your indices broker with & execute indices trade transactions & monitor your stock indices MT5 account balance from this MT5 platform.

The MT5 Indices Trading Platform software is provided for free through the various indices broker websites. This MetaTrader 5 platform looks like the stock indices example explained below:

Main Areas of this MetaTrader 5 software as illustrated above are:

1. MT5 Navigation Menus
2. Toolbars
3. MetaTrader 5 Indices Chart Window
4. MetaTrader 5 Navigator Panel
5. MT5 Market Watch Window
6. MetaTrader 5 Terminal
7. MT5 Connection Bars

For this MT5 tutorial we shall look at a brief introduction for each of these learn indices MetaTrader 5 Trading Platform:

1. Navigation Menus

The MetaTrader 5 navigation menus are:

1. File
2. View
3. Insert
4. Charts
5. Tools
6. Window
7. Help

These are the main MT5 navigation menus which can be used to navigate MetaTrader 5 platform. As a beginner you can begin by clicking any of these MT5 navigation menus to familiarize yourself with the various MT5 button keys which are arranged as MT5 sub menus within these MetaTrader 5 navigation menus.

These MT5 navigation menus will be discussed and covered in details in the next MT5 guides about navigation menus.

2. Toolbars

The MT5 toolbars are used to manipulate MT5 stock indices charts, either by placing MT5 indicators, MT5 line studies, change MT5 indices chart timeframes and load MT5 stock indices chart template from a list of saved MT5 stock indices chart templates.

These MT5 tool bars will be discussed on other MT5 guides which will outline each MT5 button on this MT5 tool bar & how to add and customize these MT5 toolbars.

3. Chart Panel

This MT5 stock indices chart window is the main area where MT5 stock indices charts are displayed & a trader can analyze the indices trend direction of a MetaTrader 5 stock indices chart whether up or down, place MT5 stock indices chart indicators for stock indices technical analysis and even place orders from these MT5 stock indices charts.

4. Navigator

MT5 Navigator will contain data about MT5 accounts, whether demo or real, this MT5 window will also have a list of all the MT5 indicators as well as MT5 Automated Indices Expert Advisors & scripts.

A trader can choose which MT5 account to login by expanding the Accounts menu, choose a MT5 indicator by expanding the MT5 indicator menu or choose an MT5 Automated Indices Expert Advisor by expanding the Automated Indices Expert Advisor menu.

5. Market Watch

MetaTrader 5 Market watch is used to show streaming stock indices quotes for MT5 indices trading instruments. This can list as many quotes provided by your MT5 indices broker or a few chosen by a trader. To save inter net bandwidth, right-click inside the MT5 market watch window and select 'Hide All', so as to hide the MetaTrader 4 symbols that you are not transacting on this MT5 Indices Trading Platform & save on inter-net bandwidth.

6. Terminal

This is the MT5 window that is like the bank MT5 account transaction area for your MT5 indices trade transactions, on this MT5 window you can view your MT5 account balance, profit & losses statement, equity, margin used also retrieve a copy of all your MT5 indices trade transactions history.

This MT5 window will also list all open indices trade transactions & calculate all the profit & loss in realtime as a indices charts move up or down.

7. Connection Bar

MetaTrader 5 connection bars - Red bars are for no connection, green bars show that there's connectivity to the servers & MetaTrader 5 indices trade orders can be placed. These MT5 connection bars should always be green when one logged into their MT5 demo MT5 account or MetaTrader 5 live account.

These MT5 Indices Trading Platform main areas form the MetaTrader 5 Indices Trading Platform interface & will be the main areas to be covered in detail in the next learn MT5 tutorials. For now it is best to download MetaTrader 5 Indices Trading Platform software and familiarize yourself with the MT5 platform interface.

Why Indices Trading Software is Required for Placing indices trading Transactions with Indices Brokers

Indices platform is software that is used to access the stock indices market and interpret these stock indices price movements using stock indices charts and stock indices technical analysis tools. There are various reasons why a trader requires to use a good indices platform. A good indices software can determine if a as a trader you make profit or not.

So why does a trader need a good Stock Indices Trading Software:

To connect to the Indices Broker Trading Server:

To place a indices trade order a trader needs to use a indices trading software which will connect to the trading servers of their stock indices trading broker & this will allow them to open and close indices trade orders. Good indices platforms will connect with ease to the brokers' servers & allow stock indices traders to place stock indices orders at any time from their desktop computer PC.

To analyze indices charts using stock indices technical analysis tools

To place a buy or sell indices order a trader needs to first analyze the direction of indices using stock indices charts. This is why all good indices trading softwares provide stock indices trading technical tools such as stock indices price charts, indices indicators and various different chart time-frames from which one-can analyze stock indices price moves using the stock indices chart timeframes of their choice.

From the above indices trading platform inter-face, summary of all information required by a trader is provided on this MetaTrader 5 Indices Trading Platform interface

• Connection - connection to the broker servers
• Charts - stock indices price graphs that display indices prices
• Toolbars - MetaTrader 5 tool bars to add tools and stock indices technical analysis indicators on indices charts
• Market Watch - for displaying available financial instruments in MT5
• Data panel - provides MT5 account data & other indicator data
• Exchange rates - shows current market stock indices price on a indices chart
• Menu bar - Shows all menu items in MT5 Platform