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Best Forex Brokers for News Trading 2026
Top forex brokers for news trading, ranked by execution speed, low slippage, platform tools, and trading cost competitiveness.
Updated April 2026
IC Markets is the best forex broker for news trading in 2026. Its deep liquidity pool (25+ providers), sub-40ms execution, and genuine ECN model mean orders fill even during the chaotic seconds around NFP, CPI, and rate decisions. Pepperstone and Tickmill are also strong choices for different reasons.
News trading is one of the most demanding trading styles from a broker infrastructure perspective. In the moments around major economic releases, liquidity evaporates, spreads blow out, and orders can slip by 5-10 pips or more. Your broker's execution model, liquidity depth, and technology stack determine whether you get filled at a reasonable price or suffer devastating slippage.
Most retail brokers aren't built for this. Many actively discourage it. The brokers on this list are the exceptions.
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you open an account through links on this page. This doesn't affect our rankings. How we rate brokers.
What News Traders Need From a Broker
News trading places unique demands on your broker:
Deep liquidity. When NFP drops and the market moves 50 pips in 200 milliseconds, thin liquidity means your order bounces around looking for a fill. Brokers connected to more liquidity providers maintain tighter spreads for longer and fill orders faster during these events.
Fast execution. Not just average execution speed, but execution speed under stress. A broker that executes at 40ms during calm markets but 500ms during news releases is useless for news trading. You need consistent speed.
No re-quotes. Some brokers (especially market makers) re-quote orders during volatile conditions. This means they reject your order and offer a new, usually worse, price. For news traders who need to enter within seconds of a release, re-quotes are a dealbreaker.
Transparent slippage. Slippage around news events is inevitable. The question is whether slippage is symmetric (equal chance of positive and negative) or consistently negative (always working against you). ECN brokers tend to show symmetric slippage. Dealing desk brokers often show asymmetric slippage.
No restrictions on news trading. Some brokers include terms in their agreements that allow them to widen spreads, increase margin requirements, or reject orders during "abnormal market conditions." Others explicitly allow all trading styles including news trading. Check the terms.
Our Top Picks
#1 IC Markets | Best Execution Around News Events
Score: 85.2 / 100 | Min. Deposit: $200 | EUR/USD: 0.02 pips (Raw cTrader)
IC Markets' 25+ liquidity providers give it the deepest liquidity pool in retail forex. During our testing around three separate NFP releases (September, October, and November 2025), IC Markets maintained fills across all orders. Average slippage was 1.2 pips, and the distribution was symmetric: roughly 45% positive, 45% negative, 10% no slippage.
The cTrader platform provides real-time execution reports for every order, showing exact fill time and slippage. This transparency is useful for news traders who want to audit their execution quality.
During news events, EUR/USD spreads on the Raw cTrader account widened to approximately 1.5-3.0 pips for 5-15 seconds before returning to normal. That's tight by news-event standards. On the same events, some competitors saw spreads blow out to 5-10 pips for 30+ seconds.
No restrictions on news trading in IC Markets' terms. No re-quotes on the ECN account types.
The trade-off: $200 minimum deposit. The demo account doesn't perfectly simulate live news-event conditions (no demo does), so your first live news trade may feel different from practice.
Read the full IC Markets review
#2 Pepperstone | Best Platform Choice for News Trading
Score: 88.6 / 100 | Min. Deposit: $0 | EUR/USD: 0.10 pips (Razor)
Pepperstone's Razor account delivers strong execution during news events, though average news-event slippage in our testing was slightly higher than IC Markets at 1.8 pips. Spread widening reached 2-4 pips on EUR/USD during NFP, recovering within 10-20 seconds.
The advantage Pepperstone brings is platform flexibility for news trading setups. You can run your execution on cTrader or MT4/MT5 while using TradingView for economic calendar monitoring and chart analysis. Some news traders maintain a dedicated TradingView layout with alert-enabled charts on multiple pairs affected by the upcoming release.
Pepperstone explicitly allows news trading with no restrictions. No re-quotes on the Razor account.
The trade-off: Slightly higher average slippage than IC Markets during our testing. The $3.50 per side commission is $0.50 more than IC Markets per side.
Read the full Pepperstone review
#3 Tickmill | Best Low-Cost News Trading
Score: 77.6 / 100 | Min. Deposit: $100 | EUR/USD: 0.10 pips (Pro)
Tickmill's $2.00 per side commission is the lowest among news-trading-suitable brokers. If you're placing multiple orders around a single news event (common with straddle strategies), the commission savings versus IC Markets or Pepperstone are meaningful.
Execution during news events was solid in our testing: average slippage of 2.0 pips with symmetric distribution. No re-quotes. Tickmill publishes monthly execution quality reports, which provide accountability.
Free VPS for accounts over $5,000, which is relevant for traders running news-straddle EAs on MetaTrader.
The trade-off: Fewer liquidity providers than IC Markets means slightly wider spread spikes during the most volatile seconds. MT4/MT5 only, no cTrader. Fewer instruments overall.
#4 FP Markets | Best for News Trading on Multiple Assets
Score: 82.3 / 100 | Min. Deposit: $100 | EUR/USD: 0.10 pips (Raw)
FP Markets offers 10,000+ share CFDs alongside forex and commodities. For news traders who trade earnings releases on individual stocks, Fed decisions on indices and forex simultaneously, or commodity-specific events, FP Markets provides the broadest tradeable range during news events.
The Raw ECN account's $3.00 per side commission and raw spreads from 0.0 pips deliver competitive pricing. cTrader is available for forex, while share CFDs are accessible on MT5 and IRESS.
The trade-off: Spread widening on less liquid instruments (minor forex pairs, small-cap shares) during news can be extreme. Stick to majors and large-cap indices for news trading.
Read the full FP Markets review
#5 Exness | Best for Quick Post-News Withdrawals
Score: 81.0 / 100 | Min. Deposit: $200 (Pro) | EUR/USD: 0.10 pips (Raw)
Exness deserves a mention for news traders who want to book profits and withdraw quickly. If your strategy involves trading a major news event, taking profit, and withdrawing the gains, Exness's 22-second average withdrawal processing lets you secure funds almost immediately.
Execution during news events was acceptable in our testing, with average slippage of 2.5 pips. Slightly more than the top three but within workable range. No restrictions on news trading.
The trade-off: Slippage was less symmetric than IC Markets in our sample, skewing slightly negative. The sample size was small, but it's something to be aware of.
Quick Comparison Table
| Broker | Score | EUR/USD Raw | News Slippage (Avg) | Spread Widening (NFP) | Re-quotes | Commission/Side |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC Markets | 85.2 | 0.02 pips | 1.2 pips | 1.5-3.0 pips | None | $3.00/lot |
| Pepperstone | 88.6 | 0.10 pips | 1.8 pips | 2-4 pips | None | $3.50/lot |
| Tickmill | 77.6 | 0.10 pips | 2.0 pips | 2-5 pips | None | $2.00/lot |
| FP Markets | 82.3 | 0.10 pips | 2.2 pips | 2-5 pips | None | $3.00/lot |
| Exness | 81.0 | 0.10 pips | 2.5 pips | 3-6 pips | None | $3.50/lot |
*Slippage and spread widening data from BrokerAudit live testing, Sept-Nov 2025. Results may vary.
Common News Trading Strategies
Understanding the main approaches helps you choose the right broker features:
Straddle strategy. Place a buy stop above and sell stop below the current price before a major release. The idea is that one order gets triggered in the direction of the initial move. This strategy needs a broker that fills stop orders quickly without re-quotes. IC Markets and Tickmill handle this well.
Fade the spike. Wait for the initial volatile reaction to a news release, then trade against it once the spike overextends. This requires fast execution and reasonable spreads within 30-60 seconds of the release. Pepperstone's execution speed suits this approach.
Delayed reaction. Wait 5-15 minutes after the release for spreads to normalise and direction to clarify, then enter in the direction of the developing trend. This is the lowest-risk news trading approach and works with any broker on this list.
Position ahead of consensus. Take a directional position before the release based on your analysis of economic indicators. This is essentially a swing trade that happens to overlap with a news event. Swap rates and holding costs matter more than news-specific execution.
How We Test News Trading Execution
Our news trading tests are conducted during live major economic releases:
- We place market orders on EUR/USD at the exact time of the release (within 1 second).
- We record the displayed price, the fill price, and the fill time.
- We repeat across multiple events (minimum 3) at each broker.
- We calculate average slippage, slippage distribution (positive vs negative), and spread widening duration.
This methodology captures real-world news trading conditions. Demo accounts don't accurately simulate news-event liquidity, so all testing is done on live funded accounts.
Tips for News Trading
Know the calendar. Forex Factory, TradingView's economic calendar, and MT5's built-in calendar all show upcoming releases. Focus on high-impact events: NFP, CPI, central bank rate decisions, GDP. These move markets. Low-impact events rarely produce tradeable volatility.
Reduce position size for news trades. Slippage is inevitable. If you typically trade 1 lot, consider 0.5 or 0.3 lots for news events. The wider-than-normal entry price combined with potential adverse slippage means your risk is higher than a calm-market trade at the same lot size.
Avoid trading the initial spike. The first 3-5 seconds after a release are pure chaos. Prices can spike 30 pips in one direction and then reverse completely. Unless your strategy specifically targets the spike (straddle), consider waiting for the dust to settle.
Check the consensus beforehand. The move isn't caused by the number itself but by how the number compares to market expectations. NFP at +200K when consensus was +180K is mildly bullish. The same +200K when consensus was +250K is bearish. Understanding the consensus lets you react faster.
Have your orders pre-set. If you're running a straddle, set your buy stop and sell stop 5-10 minutes before the release. Last-second order placement often fails during high-traffic moments as broker servers experience load.
The Economic Calendar: Your News Trading Toolkit
Every news trader needs a reliable economic calendar. Here's what to look for:
Impact rating. High, medium, and low impact events. Focus exclusively on high-impact events for news trading. Medium and low impact rarely produce enough volatility to trade profitably after spread and slippage costs.
Consensus vs previous. The market moves based on deviation from consensus (forecast), not from the previous reading. An NFP print of +200K when consensus was +180K is bullish. The same +200K when the previous month was +150K is less relevant because the market already priced in the growth expectation.
Best calendars. TradingView's built-in calendar is convenient if you trade from TradingView. Forex Factory's calendar has the longest track record and the most active discussion threads around each event. MT5's built-in economic calendar is useful if you trade exclusively on MetaTrader.
Key events by currency:
| Currency | Key Events |
|---|---|
| USD | NFP, CPI, Fed Rate Decision, GDP, Retail Sales |
| EUR | ECB Rate Decision, German CPI, Eurozone GDP |
| GBP | BoE Rate Decision, UK CPI, UK Employment |
| JPY | BoJ Rate Decision, Tankan Survey |
| AUD | RBA Rate Decision, Employment Change |
| CAD | BoC Rate Decision, Employment Change |
Risk Management for News Trading
News trading carries higher risk than normal market conditions. Adjust your risk management accordingly:
Reduce position size by 50%. If you normally trade 1 lot, trade 0.5 lots during news events. The wider spreads, potential slippage, and faster price movements mean your effective risk per trade is higher than usual even at the same lot size.
Use wider stops or no stops. A 15-pip stop loss in normal conditions might be triggered by spread widening alone during a news event, even if price eventually moves in your direction. Either widen your stop to accommodate the volatility (30-50 pips) or enter with a mental stop and close manually if the trade moves against you.
Accept that some events are untradeable. Occasionally, the data release will be perfectly in-line with consensus, producing a whipsaw that stops out both sides of a straddle. This is a normal cost of news trading. Not every event produces a clean move.
Never risk more than 1-2% of your account on a single news trade. The binary, unpredictable nature of news reactions makes large positions dangerous. A surprise Fed decision can move EUR/USD 200+ pips in minutes.
Our Top Picks
Pepperstone
Pepperstone combines razor-sharp spreads with the widest platform selection in the industry — MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView — making it the best all-rounder for experienced traders.
IC Markets
IC Markets is the top choice for scalpers and algo traders, offering the tightest raw spreads in the industry with institutional-grade execution.
FP Markets
FP Markets is a strong all-rounder for MT4/MT5 traders, offering competitive raw spreads, 10,000+ instruments, and solid ASIC/CySEC regulation.
CMC Markets
CMC Markets offers one of the largest instrument ranges in the industry (12,000+) with an award-winning Next Generation platform.
IG
IG is the most established forex broker on this list, publicly traded on the LSE since 2000, offering unmatched instrument range and rock-solid regulation.
Tickmill
Tickmill is a low-cost ECN broker that excels in raw spread pricing and fast execution, making it particularly attractive for scalpers.
Exness
Exness leads the industry in trading volume and offers exceptionally low deposits with raw spreads, though most retail clients trade through offshore entities.
FxPro
FxPro offers a strong multi-platform experience with MT4, MT5, and cTrader under solid FCA/CySEC regulation — a dependable choice for EU/UK traders.
ThinkMarkets
ThinkMarkets offers competitive spreads and a polished proprietary ThinkTrader platform with strong mobile capabilities.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
IC Markets is our top pick for news trading in 2026. Its deep liquidity pool, sub-40ms execution, and symmetric slippage during our live testing make it the most reliable broker for trading around major economic releases.
No. Some brokers restrict trading around major news events or include terms allowing them to widen spreads, increase margin, or reject orders during volatile conditions. The brokers on this list explicitly allow news trading with no restrictions.
On a good ECN broker trading major pairs, expect 1-3 pips of slippage during high-impact releases like NFP or CPI. During extreme events (surprise rate decisions, geopolitical shocks), slippage can exceed 10 pips.
It can be, but it's one of the harder trading styles. The combination of wider spreads, slippage, and unpredictable price action means most news traders struggle with consistency. Successful news traders typically specialise in a small number of events they understand deeply.
For straddle strategies, pending orders (buy/sell stops) are standard. For reaction-based strategies, market orders after the initial volatility subsides are more common. Avoid market orders in the first 3-5 seconds after a release unless you're specifically trading the initial spike.
US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP), US CPI, Federal Reserve rate decisions, ECB rate decisions, Bank of England rate decisions, and US GDP are the highest-impact events. NFP and CPI typically produce the most tradeable forex volatility.
Reviewed by
Neil CNeil C is a financial markets analyst and forex trading specialist with over 10 years of experience evaluating broker platforms, trading conditions, and regulatory frameworks. He has personally tested accounts with dozens of brokers and brings a data-driven methodology to every review.
Last updated: April 2026