How to invest in IBEX 35 index funds in 2023
Invezz is an independent platform with the goal of helping users achieve financial freedom. In order to fund our work, we partner with advertisers who compensate us for users that Invezz refers to their services. While our reviews and assessments of each product on the site are independent and unbiased, brands may pay to appear higher up our table rankings or place ads in specific areas of the site. The order in which products and services appear on Invezz does not represent an endorsement from us, and please be aware that there may be other platforms available to you than the products and services that appear on our website. Read more about how we make money >
Get started in minutes with our preferred broker, .
10/1077% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
It only takes a few minutes to invest in the IBEX 35 index. One of the simplest and most popular ways to invest is to buy shares in a Vanguard IBEX 35 ETF through an online trading platform.
Where can I invest in the IBEX 35 index?
According to our expert research, eToro is the best ETF broker to invest in IBEX 35 index funds.
Both IBEX 35 ETFs and IBEX 35 CFDs are available to invest in through eToro .
Here are three more places to buy the IBEX 35, ranked according to their cost, security, and features.
77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
How do I invest in the IBEX index?
The easiest way is to sign up to a stock broker, open an investment account, and buy shares in an IBEX 35 ETF or CFD. This guide explains how to do it:
Step 1. Sign up to eToro
We recommend using eToro to invest in IBEX 35. Sign up for a brokerage account and deposit some money. You may need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account.
77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Step 2. Decide how to buy IBEX 35
This boils down to choosing between an IBEX 35 ETF or CFD. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the IBEX 35’s performance. CFDs offer a greater range of trading options: you can use leverage, short the index, or buy and sell it outside of trading hours.
Step 3. Invest in the IBEX 35
Sign into your trading account and search for the IBEX 35. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade.
Step 4. Monitor your investment
When you buy a CFD, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning.
Your trading account will show the price change in the IBEX 35 since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the IBEX 35 and close your position, ideally at a profit!
The different ways to invest in the IBEX
As we mentioned above, there are numerous ways to put your money into the IBEX 35. ETFs and CFDs are the simplest options for beginners, but there are alternatives. Here’s a brief overview of each option and who it’s best suited for.
IBEX 35 ETFs
An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund traded on a stock exchange, much like a stock. Exchange traded funds can hold different assets, such as individual stocks, bonds, or commodities, or serve as a proxy for a stock market index.
An IBEX 35 ETF is one way of investing in the IBEX 35. It’s simply an investment fund that mirrors the performance of the IBEX 35. When you buy shares in the fund, the value of your investment will rise or fall with the IBEX 35 itself.
ETFs are ideal for new investors because they have a very low minimum investment. You can start with a few pounds and get exposure to some of the world’s largest companies. They’re also practical if you plan on trading the IBEX 35 index, because you can buy or sell shares in the fund throughout the day.
Examples of popular IBEX ETFs
- iShares IBEX 35 UCITS ETF (IBEX).
- BBVA Accion IBEX 35 ETF (IBEX).
- Amundi ETF IBEX 35 UCITS ETF (IBEX).
IBEX 35 index funds
An index or mutual fund is an investment fund that aims to track the performance of a stock market index, such as the IBEX 35. It’s very similar to an ETF, in that there are low management fees and you can buy shares through your online broker.
However, there are a couple of differences. IBEX 35 index funds are only priced at the end of each trading day, so you can buy or sell shares in the fund once per day. There may also be a higher barrier to entry, through a much larger minimum investment when you invest in IBEX 35 index funds.
That means an IBEX 35 mutual fund is better suited for long term investors with a higher initial budget, where the infrequent trading and barriers to entry are far less of an issue.
Examples of popular IBEX index funds/mutual funds
- BBVA Bolsa FI
- Santander Small Caps España FI
- Bankia Bolsa España, FI
IBEX 35 CFDs
CFDs (contracts for difference) are a way to speculate on IBEX 35 price changes with more flexibility than if you use an ETF or index fund. A CFD is a ‘derivative’, which means it gets its value from the underlying asset – in this case the IBEX 35 – but it’s separate from it.
As a result, CFDs can be leveraged, where you borrow money to multiply the size of the trade, or they can be used to go ‘short’, where you place a trade on the index to fall in value. You can also buy and sell them outside of regular trading hours.
All of this means IBEX 35 CFDs offer the potential to outperform a fund that passively tracks the IBEX 35’s performance. Of course, you can also underperform it as well. Tools like leverage and shorting introduce a lot more risk, and are best left to experienced traders.
IBEX 35 futures
Futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the IBEX at an agreed price on a set date in the future. IBEX 35 futures are a means to predict how you think the index is going to perform over a set time frame, such as the next three or six months.
Most futures contracts involve leverage, so you only put up a small part of the total trade value (the margin) when you buy one. That makes futures more risky, and they require a bit more financial expertise to understand as well.
Some traders use futures as a hedge against the performance of stocks they own. For instance, if you own stocks that are part of the IBEX 35 then you might want to short the IBEX 35 so that you still make some money if the price falls.
IBEX 35 stocks
Another way to invest in the IBEX 35 is to buy shares in the individual stocks that the index tracks. It isn’t practical to buy every share in the index, but you can invest directly into a few of the most heavily weighted stocks in the IBEX 35 in order to get broad exposure to its performance.
The most heavily weighted stocks in the IBEX 35 tend to be the largest companies by market capitalisation. If you invest directly in those largest stocks, you gain exposure to the index without taking on the risk of all the underlying companies.
One reason to do this is that these larger companies with the highest market cap dominate the index anyway, so that it can give you the impression of a diversified portfolio while actually being reliant on the performance of those particular stocks.
For the IBEX 35 index, the largest stocks you might choose to invest in are:
| Company | Index weight |
|---|---|
| Inditex SA (ITX) | 10.4% |
| Banco Santander SA (SAN) | 9.90% |
| Telefonica SA (TEF) | 8.60% |
| Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (BBVA) | 7.70% |
| Iberdrola SA (IBE) | 7.60% |
| Amadeus IT Group SA (AMS) | 5.30% |
| Naturgy Energy Group SA (NTGY) | 3.94% |
| Enagas SA (ENG) | 3.60% |
| Mapfre SA (MAP) | 3.60% |
| Red Electrica Corp SA (REE) | 3.60% |
The flip side of investing directly like this is that you lose the diversification and stability that comes with buying into an entire index. It requires much more hands-on management to do your own stock picking, so it’s best suited to more experienced investors.
How much does it cost to invest in the IBEX 35 index?
From $0 to $5, depending on how you invest. For each option, you must consider the cost of buying the actual asset, whether that’s an ETF, index fund, CFD, or share, plus the fees associated with it.
| Instrument | Trading fee | Management fee |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange traded funds | $0-$5.99 | 0-0.2% |
| Index fund / mutual fund | $0-$5.99 | 0.1-2% |
| Individual stock | $0-$3 | None |
| CFD | $0 | None |
*A fee comparison of 3 leading brokers for example purposes
ETFs and CFDs are generally the cheapest option overall, as they have low fees and a low minimum investment. Index funds and mutual funds have low fees but may have a high minimum investment. Buying individual stocks is the most expensive option in absolute terms, because the share price of a single large company is often more than $100.
All options are likely to include a trading fee, which you pay each time you make a transaction. Some trading platforms offer zero-fee trading, with others it may be a few dollars.
Then ETFs and index funds each have their own expense ratio. Expense ratios refer to an annual management fee, charged as a percentage of your total investment. Expense ratios are usually no more than 0.05%, so if you invest $1,000, you would pay $5 per year in management fees.
Should I invest in the IBEX 35 index?
Yes, IBEX 35 investing is a great choice if you’re looking for a safer investment with more price stability compared to picking individual stocks. It gives you an instantly diverse portfolio with exposure to a broad area of the stock market.
The flip side is that you have less control over which companies you invest in. An index committee decides how the index works, and you can’t pick and choose the underlying companies you like the most. The IBEX 35 is better suited to hands-off investors, compared to those who have the skills, experience, and desire to pick their own stocks.
What are the advantages of investing in the IBEX 35 index?
An index provides instant stock market diversification, where you spread your risk across a large number of underlying companies, rather than one or two. Here are some more reasons why you might want to invest in the IBEX 35 index:
- The IBEX provides exposure to some of Spain’s biggest companies. Investing in the IBEX 35 means you’ll be investing in some of Spain’s biggest and most established businesses, such as Banco Santander and Telefonica.
- Spain’s economy is one of the largest in Europe. Spain has one of the largest economies in Europe, with a strong tourism industry, a growing technology sector, and a well-developed financial services industry. By investing in the IBEX, you’ll also be investing in the Spanish economy.
- You can earn dividends through IBEX ETFs and Funds. The IBEX 35 index has historically offered a high dividend yield, making it an attractive investment option for income-seeking investors. Many of the best ETFs and funds that track the index pay dividends.
- The IBEX is a good way to diversify your portfolio. The IBEX 35 index has a relatively low correlation with other major global equity indices, making it a good diversification tool within your investment portfolio.
What are the disadvantages of investing in the IBEX 35 index?
The main risk of investing in the IBEX 35 is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of IBEX 35 investing.
- Spain’s economy has been slowing in recent years. In recent years, Spain’s economy has been hit by high unemployment, a high public debt-to-GDP ratio, and political instability. These factors could impact the performance of the companies that comprise the IBEX.
- The index is concentrated in a few industries. The IBEX revolves around a few sectors, such as financials and telecommunications, which can increase the risk for investors if those sectors underperform.
- It has a low market cap. The IBEX 35 index has a relatively small market capitalization compared to other major global equity indices, which can limit liquidity and potentially increase volatility.
FAQs
More indices to invest in
Invezz is a place where people can find reliable, unbiased information about finance, trading, and investing – but we do not offer financial advice and users should always carry out their own research. The assets covered on this website, including stocks, cryptocurrencies, and commodities can be highly volatile and new investors often lose money. Success in the financial markets is not guaranteed, and users should never invest more than they can afford to lose. You should consider your own personal circumstances and take the time to explore all your options before making any investment. Read our risk disclaimer >