US30 Index Trading: How to Trade the Dow Jones with TIOmarkets
BY TIOmarkets
|February 18, 2026The Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of the most recognised financial benchmarks in the world. First published in 1896, it now tracks 30 of the largest publicly listed companies in the United States, spanning sectors from healthcare and technology to financial services and consumer goods. For CFD traders, it is commonly referred to as the US30.
All information below is current as of Q1 2026.
According to historical data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), the DJIA climbed from the mid-37,000s at the start of 2024 to an all-time high above 50,500 points in February 2026. That trajectory reflects a combination of strong corporate earnings, sustained consumer spending, and shifting expectations around Federal Reserve interest rate policy. For traders, this kind of sustained directional movement, punctuated by sharp short-term reversals, is what makes index trading attractive.
This guide explains what the US30 is, what drives it, how the contract works in practice, and how to start trading it with TIOmarkets on MT4 or MT5.
What Is the US30?
US30 is the ticker used by CFD brokers to represent the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The DJIA is a price-weighted index, meaning that companies with higher share prices have a greater influence on the index level than those with lower prices, regardless of their total market value. This differs from market-cap-weighted indices like the S&P 500, where a company's influence is proportional to its overall size.
The 30 components are selected by a committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices and are reviewed periodically. Companies are typically drawn from the S&P 500, profitable at the time of admission, and demonstrate sustained growth and broad investor interest. The result is a basket of well-established, blue-chip businesses that serve as a proxy for the health of the broader US economy.
When you trade the US30 as a CFD with TIOmarkets, you are not buying shares in any of those companies. You are speculating on the direction of the index itself, either long (expecting it to rise) or short (expecting it to fall). No physical delivery is involved.
What Drives the US30?
Because the index reflects the collective performance of 30 major US companies, it responds to a wide range of macroeconomic and corporate factors.
Federal Reserve policy is among the most consistent short-term drivers. Interest rate decisions affect borrowing costs across the economy, corporate profitability, and the relative attractiveness of equities versus bonds. When the Fed signals rate cuts, equity indices including the US30 often rally. When the tone turns hawkish, the reverse tends to happen.
Corporate earnings play a significant role, particularly during quarterly earnings seasons. Because the DJIA is price-weighted, outsized moves in a small number of high-priced components can shift the index materially. A strong earnings report from a company like Goldman Sachs or UnitedHealth, both of which carry significant weight in the index, can lift the US30 even if the broader market is flat.
Macroeconomic data releases move the index in real time. Non-Farm Payrolls, CPI inflation readings, GDP revisions, and consumer confidence surveys all have the potential to trigger sharp moves. These releases tend to fall within the New York trading session, which is where the highest intraday volatility in the US30 is typically concentrated.
Geopolitical events and trade policy can also cause significant disruption. The DJIA's 30 components are global businesses with supply chains, revenues, and costs spread across multiple countries. Policy changes that affect trade flows, currency markets, or international investment tend to feed through to index valuations quickly.
How US30 Lot Sizes and Point Values Work
Spreads for indices are quoted in points rather than pips. On TIOmarkets, the minimum spread for US30 varies by account type (see below). Please check inside the MT4 or MT5 platform for current live spreads, as index spreads are variable and widen during periods of low liquidity or high volatility.
On TIOmarkets, one standard lot of the US30 represents 10 index contracts. Each full point move in the index is worth $1 per contract, which means a one-point move on a standard lot (10 contracts) is worth $10.
The minimum trade size is 0.01 lots, which represents 0.1 contracts. At 0.01 lots, each full point move in the US30 is worth $0.10. This allows traders to size positions precisely relative to their account balance and risk tolerance.
A practical example: if you buy 0.1 lots of the US30 (1 contract) at 49,000 and the index rises to 49,200, that is a 200-point move worth $1 per point, giving a gain of $200. The same move against you produces a $200 loss.
You can verify the exact contract specification on your platform by right-clicking the US30 symbol in the MT4 or MT5 Market Watch window and selecting "Specification." TIOmarkets also publishes a detailed breakdown in their lot size guide for US30 and their indices lot size guide.
When to Trade the US30
The US30 follows New York Stock Exchange trading hours, from 09:30 to 16:00 New York time (Eastern Time). CFD versions of the index, including on TIOmarkets, offer extended hours around the main session, but liquidity and spread conditions are best during regular NYSE hours.
The most active and volatile period is the first hour after the open (09:30 to 10:30 Eastern Time), when overnight news, pre-market earnings, and gap openings are absorbed by the market. Major economic data releases, which are typically scheduled for 08:30 or 10:00 Eastern Time, often set the tone before the session begins.
Earnings season, which runs roughly four times a year following each calendar quarter, brings heightened volatility to the US30. If a high-weight component reports results that significantly beat or miss expectations, the index can move hundreds of points in a short window.
Outside of regular session hours, CFD trading on the US30 continues, but spreads tend to be wider and moves less predictable. Most traders focus their activity around the main session for this reason.
How to Trade the US30 with TIOmarkets
TIOmarkets offers US30 CFD trading on both MT4 and MT5 across all account types. The main options compare as follows.
The Standard account offers a minimum spread from 1.1 points with no commission and a minimum deposit of $20. This makes it accessible for traders who want to start with a smaller initial capital, while the all-in spread pricing keeps costs straightforward to calculate.
The Raw account offers minimum spreads from 0.0 points with a $6 round-turn commission, which can reduce total trading costs for active traders who need the tightest possible entry and exit prices. The minimum deposit is $250.
The VIP Black account offers minimum spreads from 0.3 points with no commission and a minimum deposit of $1,000, combining tight spreads with commission-free execution for higher-volume traders.
To get started, register an account at TIOmarkets, complete verification, and fund your account. Once your trading account is set up on MT4 or MT5, locate US30 in the Market Watch window, right-click to review the specification, and open a position using the standard order window. You can set stop-loss and take-profit levels at the point of order entry.
If you are trading in a currency other than USD, note that point values will be converted at the prevailing exchange rate, which affects the dollar amount of your profit or loss on each trade.
For traders who want to practise before committing live capital, TIOmarkets offers demo accounts on both MT4 and MT5, which replicate live market conditions without financial risk.
Risk Management for US30 Trading
Index CFDs can move sharply, particularly around scheduled data releases and earnings announcements. A 200 to 500 point intraday range is not unusual on the US30 during active sessions, and during significant macro events, moves can be considerably larger.
Position sizing is the most important variable a trader controls. The standard approach is to risk no more than 1 to 2 percent of your account balance on any single trade. To apply this, determine your stop-loss distance in points, calculate the dollar value of that move at your chosen lot size, and adjust the lot size until the potential loss falls within your threshold.
For example, if you have a $2,000 account and are willing to risk 1% ($20) per trade, and your stop-loss is 100 points away from your entry, you would trade 0.02 lots. At 0.02 lots (0.2 contracts), each point is worth $0.20. A 100-point adverse move costs exactly $20, keeping your loss within the intended limit.
Always use stop-loss orders. The US30 can gap through levels on unexpected news, and positions without a stop-loss can expose your account to losses beyond your intended risk. Take-profit orders can also help remove emotion from exit decisions during fast-moving periods.
FAQ
Risk disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Never deposit more than you are prepared to lose. Professional client’s losses can exceed their deposit. Please see our risk warning policy and seek independent professional advice if you do not fully understand. This information is not directed or intended for distribution to or use by residents of certain countries/jurisdictions including, but not limited to, USA & Countries included in the OFAC sanction list. The Company holds the right to alter the aforementioned list of countries at its own discretion.
TIOmarkets offers an exclusively execution-only service. The views expressed are for information purposes only. None of the content provided constitutes any form of investment advice. The comments are made available purely for educational and marketing purposes and do NOT constitute advice or investment recommendation (and should not be considered as such) and do not in any way constitute an invitation to acquire any financial instrument or product. TIOmarkets and its affiliates and consultants are not liable for any damages that may be caused by individual comments or statements by TIOmarkets analysis and assumes no liability with respect to the completeness and correctness of the content presented. The investor is solely responsible for the risk of his/her investment decisions. The analyses and comments presented do not include any consideration of your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, or needs. The content has not been prepared in accordance with any legal requirements for financial analysis and must, therefore, be viewed by the reader as marketing information. TIOmarkets prohibits duplication or publication without explicit approval.
Join us on social media
Behind every blog post lies the combined experience of the people working at TIOmarkets. We are a team of dedicated industry professionals and financial markets enthusiasts committed to providing you with trading education and financial markets commentary. Our goal is to help empower you with the knowledge you need to trade in the markets effectively.
Related Posts
