Admirals SA (Admiral Markets) Review 2024
In the modern world of Forex trading, choosing the right broker is a pivotal moment for conducting business successfully. Recently renamed Admirals, the broker Admiral Markets has held high positions on the global Forex brokers' stage for many years. But what exactly makes this company so appealing to traders? And can you trust it with your funds?
This article will thoroughly review Admirals, exploring its key features, unique aspects, and services offered to traders. We will also assess the reliability and transparency of the company's operations so you can make an informed decision on whether to work with this broker. Join us in this exploration to learn more about the Admirals company and its offerings in Forex trading.
Admirals Broker Overview
Foundation Year | 2001 |
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Official Website | https://admiralmarkets.com |
Regulated in Countries | Cyprus, Jordan, United Kingdom, Estonia, Australia, South Africa, Kenya, SeychellesMore Details |
Minimum Deposit |
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Spread | from 0 points |
Max Leverage | 1:500 |
Trading Assets |
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Trading Platforms |
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Email Support |
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Hotline Phones | |
Social Media |
The Admiral Markets Group has provided clients with online trading services in Forex and CFDs on indices, stocks, and futures contracts. The broker's representations can be found in 40 countries around the world.
Admirals Review Summary
Our evaluations in the Admirals broker review are based on a transparent and detailed methodology developed by our team of experts. This methodology encompasses many aspects, ranging from regulation and security to the broker's offered products, educational resources, quality of support, and much more.
We aim to provide you with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information to assist you in making an informed decision when choosing a broker. However, remember that it is always essential to conduct your research, as trading involves risk, and your investments can increase and decrease in value.
We hope that the information in this review will be helpful to you. Continue reading to learn more about the Admirals broker.
Reliability and Regulation
Legal Entity | Regulator | Review |
---|---|---|
Admiral Markets Cyprus Ltd Admiral Markets Cyprus Ltd | CySEC CySEC | Admirals EU review |
Admiral Markets AS Jordan Ltd Admiral Markets AS Jordan Ltd | JSC JSC | Admirals JO review |
Admiral Markets UK Ltd Admiral Markets UK Ltd | FCA FCA | Admirals UK review |
Admiral Markets Group Admiral Markets Group | EFSA EFSA | — |
Admirals AU Pty Ltd Admirals AU Pty Ltd | ASIC ASIC | Admirals AU review |
Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd Admirals SA (Pty) Ltd | FSCA FSCA | Current review |
Admirals KE Ltd Admirals KE Ltd | CMA CMA | — |
Admirals SC Ltd Admirals SC Ltd | SFSA SFSA | Admirals review |
Admirals is regulated by several leading regulators around the world, including FSCA (South Africa), FCA (United Kingdom), and ASIC (Australia). This indicates that the company strictly adheres to international standards and regulatory requirements.
The segregation of client funds is a critical factor that ensures clients' funds are kept separate from the company's operational funds. This serves as an additional protection of clients' interests.
Moreover, the insurance of client funds up to USD 100,000 without additional commissions or costs indicates the company's responsible approach to protecting client assets.
Account Opening
The simplicity of registration on Admirals and the low minimum deposit make the account opening process convenient and accessible for traders of all levels.
Registration
One should go through the client's area registration process before opening an account and working with an Admirals broker. You manage your account through this area, including depositing and withdrawing funds, participating in promotions, downloading software, and much more. The registration requires just a few details:
- Country of residence,
- Email address,
- Phone number,
- Password.
The information provided must match the identity documents for verification purposes; otherwise, you cannot go through the verification process to fully use the broker's services, including the withdrawal of profits.
Minimum Deposit
One of the essential aspects to consider when choosing a Forex broker is the minimum deposit size. At Admirals, this figure is only 500 South African Rands, which makes access to the company's trading platforms possible even for beginner traders with limited capital.
Account Types
Admirals offers a broad range of accounts that can satisfy the needs of most traders.
However, the absence of cent accounts and accounts with fixed spreads may be a barrier for some traders, particularly beginners or those who prefer to know the spread size in advance.
Trading Accounts
The following trading accounts are available on Admirals:
Zero.MT4 | Zero.MT5 | Trade.MT4 | Trade.MT5 | |
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Account Currency | ZAR, EUR | |||
Minimum Deposit | 500 R25 € | |||
Trading Platforms | MetaTrader 4 | MetaTrader 5 | MetaTrader 4 | MetaTrader 5 |
Spread | floatingfrom 0 pipsfor EURUSD~ 0.1 pips | floatingfrom 0.8 pipsfor EURUSD~ 1.2 pips | floatingfrom 0.6 pipsfor EURUSD~ 0.8 pips | |
Commission per Trade | per 1 lot3 $ | |||
Trading Assets | ForexIndicesPrecious MetalsEnergy Carriers | ForexIndicesCryptocurrencyStocksPrecious MetalsEnergy CarriersBonds | ForexIndicesCryptocurrencyStocksETFPrecious MetalsEnergy CarriersAgricultural CommoditiesBonds | |
Opened Positions | up to 200 | up to 500 | up to 200 | up to 500 |
Leverage | 1:10-1:500 | |||
Margin Call / Stop Out | 100% / 30% | |||
Order Execution | STP | |||
Demo Account | ||||
Islamic Account | ||||
Open AccountRegister | Open AccountRegister | Open AccountRegister | Open AccountRegister |
The Trade account suits most traders, offering the most comprehensive range of trading instruments, including currency pairs, CFDs on cryptocurrencies, metals, energy carriers, indices, stocks, and ETFs.
The Zero account suits traders looking for minimal spreads with a small commission per trade. It includes currency pairs and CFDs on metals, indices, and energy carriers.
Demo Account
To test one's knowledge in online trading without risking capital, one can start trading on a demo account from Admirals. This practice account allows you to change currency pairs, CFDs on stocks, and indices in real-time, but without funding the account.
The broker provides 10,000 virtual dollars for testing purposes. The demo account is valid for 30 days.
Islamic Account
The Islamic account at Admirals is designed explicitly for traders following the principles of Islam. It provides a full opportunity to trade Forex without violating religious tenets. This is achieved by the absence of additional commissions charged or debited when trading CFDs on currency pairs, indices, raw materials, stocks, and ETFs.
The trading conditions on the Islamic account are identical to the standard Trade.MT5 account, including low spreads, fast execution of trades, and access to all trading instruments without any restrictions.
A vital feature of the Islamic account is the absence of swaps: no commission is charged or debited for carrying over open positions to the next trading day. Instead, a fixed account maintenance commission is charged for trades open for more than 3 days (1 day for exotic currency pairs). This allows traders to trade confidently, knowing their trading complies with Sharia principles.
Commissions
Admirals' commissions can be considered average for the market. The commission per trade, spreads and swaps are pretty competitive. However, some additional fees, such as the inactivity fee or fees for internal transfers, may be significant in certain situations.
Trading Fees
Trading fees include the commission per trade and spreads with swaps.
Commission per Trade
For Zero accounts, the broker charges a commission of $3 per lot, an average fee in the market reflecting standard trading conditions.
Below is the commission per lot for the EUR/USD pair at different Forex brokers:
Broker | Vantage SARaw | FxPro SARaw+ | Admirals SAZero.MT5 | HF Markets SAZero | TickmillRaw |
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Commission per lot | $3 | $3.5 | $3 | $3 | $3 |
Spreads and Swaps
On Trade accounts, the typical spread for the EUR/USD pair is 0.8 pips, which is relatively low. However, Admirals swaps are quite high compared to other brokers.
Asset | Average spread | Swap long | Swap short |
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AUDUSD | 1.0 pips | -5.52 pips | 0.62 pips |
EURUSD | 0.8 pips | -8.42 pips | 0.70 pips |
GBPUSD | 1.0 pips | -4.88 pips | -2.99 pips |
NZDUSD | 1.9 pips | -1.68 pips | -2.61 pips |
USDCAD | 1.6 pips | -3.17 pips | -4.16 pips |
USDCHF | 1.2 pips | 1.22 pips | -8.06 pips |
USDJPY | 1.0 pips | 8.19 pips | -28.23 pips |
Cashback
Admirals offers an interesting Cashback program that allows traders to receive rewards for their trading activity. This program returns a portion of the trading volume directly to the client's account.
Admirals' Cashback system is straightforward. The trader receives $1 back into their account for every million dollars of notional volume traded. It is important to note that this offer is available for real trading accounts, including Trade.MT4, Trade.MT5, Zero.MT4, and Zero.MT5.
The advantage of this program is that traders do not need to take any additional actions to receive the cashback. The amount will be automatically credited to their trading account within the first five calendar days of each statement month.
Withdrawal Fee
Regarding fund withdrawals, one request per month is processed without a commission, after which a fee of 1% or 2% is charged (depending on the withdrawal method).
Inactivity Fee
Accounts with no transactions for 24 months and no open positions are subject to an inactivity fee of 10 EUR per month. This is charged only if the account balance is positive.
Other Fees
Admirals also charges a fee for internal transfers, which depends on the base currency of the accounts and the type of transfer, and a currency conversion fee of 0.3%. This fee is applied when dealing with stocks, ETFs, CFDs on stocks, and CFDs on ETFs quoted in currencies other than the base currency of your account.
Deposit and Withdrawal
Admirals offers limited payment options, causing inconvenience to clients.
But, deposit and withdrawal fees are absent or minimal, which is a significant advantage for traders.
Deposit Methods
Payment System | Currencies | Deposit Fee | Operation Limit |
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Bank Transfer | EURZAR | 0% | — |
There is no deposit fee.
Withdrawal Methods
Payment System | Currencies | Withdrawal Fee | Operation Limit |
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Bank Transfer | EURZAR | 0%+ 10
EUR | — |
Admirals allows for one commission-free withdrawal per month.
Withdrawal requests are processed by the broker on the same working day if received before 17:00. Otherwise, the request is processed on the next working day.
Markets and Products
Admirals offers a relatively wide range of products for trading and investing.
Available Markets
The following CFDs are available for trading on Admirals:
Broker | Vantage SA | Admirals SA | FxPro SA |
---|---|---|---|
Forex | 35 | 82 | 69 |
Precious Metals | 3 | 7 | 13 |
Energy Carriers | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Agricultural Commodities | 3 | 7 | 7 |
Indices | 8 | 43 | 29 |
Stocks | 51 | 3428 | 1971 |
ETF | 5 | 362 | — |
Bonds | — | 2 | — |
Cryptocurrency | — | 42 | 28 |
Margin Requirements
The margin requirements on Admirals depend on the type of traded instrument and the nominal value of the position.
Trading Instrument | Max. Leverage for Retail Traders |
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Forex | 1:500 |
Precious Metals | 1:500 |
Energy Carriers | 1:100 |
Agricultural Commodities | 1:50 |
Indices | 1:500 |
Stocks | 1:20 |
ETF | 1:20 |
Bonds | 1:20 |
Cryptocurrency | 1:100 |
Trading Platforms
Admirals boasts the two most popular and influential trading platforms - MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, providing a wide array of features and flexibility for traders of all levels.
However, the lack of additional unique platforms might be a downside for some traders searching for specialized or innovative solutions.
MetaTrader 4 and 5
Admirals provides access to the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, which are global leaders in online trading. These platforms are well-suited for beginners and experienced traders thanks to their advanced features, including various technical analysis tools, flexible trading system settings, and algorithmic trading capabilities.
Analytics
The broker provides an impressive volume of well-structured information about the markets in the analytics section. One can find reviews and forecasts in fundamental, technical, and wave analysis, an economic calendar, and currency exchange rates with spreads for different account types.
One can also discover market sentiment statistics and insights on major financial and economic news and trading schedules.
Economic Calendar
The Admirals economic calendar is a powerful tool for forecasting market trends. It enables traders to track crucial economic events and their impact on financial markets, significantly aiding in developing trading strategies.
Trading News
Admirals’ trading news informs traders of the latest market changes, from major corporate mergers to central bank policies.
Such timely updates allow traders to quickly adapt to changing market conditions.
Weekly Podcasts
The weekly podcasts from Admirals are an excellent way to learn about the latest market news and upcoming significant events. These podcasts also offer helpful trading and investing tips, making them a valuable resource for traders at all experience levels.
Technical and Fundamental Analysis
Admirals provides detailed technical and fundamental analysis to help traders understand current market trends. This section includes daily analytical reviews from a team of professional traders, the search for statistical patterns in price changes, and the analysis of macroeconomic data that can affect the value of investments.
Education
Admirals offers a broad range of educational materials to enhance the trading skills of its clients.
Webinars and Seminars
Admirals regularly conducts free webinars and seminars on Forex and CFD trading. These educational sessions cover everything from trading fundamentals to more complex topics such as technical and fundamental analysis, indicators, risk management, and the development of trading strategies.
Articles and Tutorials
The Admirals website hosts a vast collection of articles and guides on Forex and CFD trading that are accessible to traders of different levels. These materials include various trading and psychological techniques, market analysis tips, and more.
E-Book
The co-founder and president of the international group of companies Admirals, Alexander Tsikhilov, is the author of the book "Blockchain: Principles and Basics." This book demystifies the complex concepts of blockchain technology in an understandable language and can be helpful to a wide range of readers, regardless of their technical or financial education.
Courses
Zero to Hero
The Zero to Hero course offers an accelerated learning journey in Forex trading. Designed to transform beginners into knowledgeable traders in just 20 days, this course is structured from basic set-up to actual trade execution. Hosted by professional trading coaches Chris Svorcik and Nenad Kerkez, the lessons are concise, fitting easily into busy schedules. The course begins with foundational technical and fundamental analysis knowledge, progressively moving towards implementing trading techniques in real-time market conditions. It emphasizes the development of a trader’s attitude, mindset, and the necessary tools to become a confident Forex trader.
Forex 101 - The Forex and CFD Trading Course
Forex 101 is a comprehensive, free online course designed to improve your Forex and CFD trading game. This three-step program is structured to impart all the essential knowledge needed to commence trading. Available in 18 languages, the course includes 9 online lessons, each accompanied by detailed notes and a quiz to reinforce learning. Crafted and delivered by two leading industry experts, each lesson focuses on a crucial trading topic, allowing learners to gain insights from professional traders.
The course is highly accessible, with the first three lessons available for free. A demo trading account is provided to unlock the rest of the course and apply the learned knowledge. This flexibility allows learners to train anytime and anywhere, during a commute, at a café, or after work. With all lessons available online, it's easy for individuals to integrate this valuable learning experience into their daily lives.
Customer Support
Admirals provides various communication channels, including email, phone, a feedback form, live chat, and a unique remote support service for technical issues. Despite rapid and constructive interaction, meaningful information about the support service's working hours is missing from the website. Moreover, some users in reviews on various resources note that support can be pushy and not always professional in their responses.
How to Contact Support?
You can contact Admirals technical support:
- via email at southafrica@admiralmarkets.com;
- by phone at +27 12 004 1882;
- through the feedback form;
- via the live chat on the website.
The broker offers remote support if a client has questions about the trading platform's operation. For this service, it is necessary to download and install special software on your device, which allows the technical support agent to see your desktop and promptly resolve any issues.
Admirals Pros and Cons
Advantages
Regulation. Admirals is regulated by several leading financial authorities, including the FSCA in South Africa and CySEC in Europe, ensuring high reliability and security.
Trading Fees. Trading commissions are set at a competitive level, making trading with Admirals cost-effective.
Analytics. Admirals offers extensive analytical resources, including an economic calendar, trading news, weekly podcasts, and technical and fundamental analyses.
- Education. The broker provides a rich collection of educational materials, including webinars, articles, guides, and e-books.
Disadvantages
High swaps. Long-term traders find it less profitable to trade on Admirals than on other platforms.
Support. Although the support service provides multiple communication channels and quick responses, some users sometimes complain about its intrusiveness and note unprofessionalism. Additionally, information about the support service's working hours is missing from the Admirals website.
Conclusion
Admirals SA is suitable for a broad spectrum of traders. With strict regulation, various account types, and a competent set of educational and analytical materials, this broker provides high-quality services for novice and experienced traders.
Beginners seeking detailed educational resources and support will undoubtedly appreciate this broker. Experienced traders will also find it beneficial due to competitive trading commissions, abundant tools for analysis and trading, and the convenience of the depositing and withdrawal process.
Forex and CFDs are complex products that are not suitable for everyone. They come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. It would be best to consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to risk losing money.