StockPair Review
Stockpair is a brand of Nextrade Worldwide Ltd, with a registered office at 3, Pythagora Street, Pythagoras Court, 4th Floor, CY-3027 Limassol, Cyprus and has a full range of regulations and licenses including a Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) license No. 229/14, and acts in accordance with the European Union Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). The company is also authorised by the British Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under Reference Number 626334. According to the FCA, the firm is EEA Authorised, meaning that it is regulated in another European Economic Area (EEA) country but can offer certain products or services in the UK.
Stockpair are committed to protecting clients’ funds, as every client is eligible for the protection of the Investment Compensation Fund (ICF) of up to €20,000 (see investor compensation fund). As I mentioned above, Stockpair is highly regulated (see “Terms of Use” to see a full list of authorities that have licensed them).
Is StockPair a Scam?
We have been monitoring StockPair progress for more then 5 years now, and I think I can say with much confidence – StockPair is NOT a Scam. We have looked into many binary options forums and asked traders about their services. It appears this company is taking good care of their costumers; everybody seems to be getting paid on time and no serious complaints are have arisen. StockPair is already regulated by CySec and by a large number of other European regulators, including the UK FCA. For a complete list of agencies that have authorized StockPair’s activities, see StockPair->Guide.
Update January 2017: The brokerage can be accessed through two domains: stockpair.com and stockpair.net. Both of them show steady traffic, without sudden spikes. The “.com” domain is visited mostly by Europeans, with 25.31% of traffic coming from France, 8.66% from the UK and 7.81% from Germany, while the “.net” website mostly receives visits from South Africa (12.13%).
Editor’s Note- Why StockPair DOESN’T Suck in 50 Words
Simple put, StockPair is a different breed of binary options brokers. Unique Trading platforms, highly transparent, very accurate and such a user friendly platform, warm support and great tools. No wonder Stockpair is my first choice, and preferred broker. StockPair is also Officially Regulated by a multitude of watchdogs across Europe and they’ve recently partnered with German football star and coach Lothar Matthäus who is going to become the brand’s ambassador.
Why Does StockPair Suck in 50 Words
Bad news for US traders – due to EU and Cysec Regulation, Stockpair will stop accepting new US based clients. Existing clients are still able to trade with Stockpair. Once again, US clients are deemed to Search for a new broker. On another matter, there’s no out-of-money refund on Stockpair.
Should I Open an Account with StockPair?
StockPair is considered to be one of kind in the industry. Until now, I couldn’t find any other promising broker that offers this extensive list of great extras, and believe me, I’ve seen SpotOption “wannabes”. Browsing their website is actually a fun experience, modern and very easy to use. The profits offered are above average even compared to Binary Options brokers, with an average of 82% return for most assets. To prove once again their true-innovator status, StockPair has recently introduced another way of trading binary options: KIKO options. Have you ever struggled deciding what expiry time to use? If yes, then rejoice because StockPair knocked it out of the park by completely eliminating expiry. If it sounds too good to be true, believe me, it’s true. KIKO stands for Knock In – Knock Out and it works like this: the trading platform will offer you two target prices – one above current price and one below it – then all you have to do is decide which one will be hit first. If it takes 10 hours to reach one of the targets, don’t worry, there’s no expiry time so a trade can last 1 second or 1 day or whatever time it takes for price to reach one of the targets (just pray it’s the one you predicted). The potential payouts on KIKO options are a bit lower than on normal UP/DOWN options but the difference is not that big in my opinion (80% for UP/DOWN EUR/USD and 75% for KIKO on the same pair).
Besides being a pioneer in the field of technology of binary options, Stockpair has pioneered a new bonus system with no restrictions on withdrawals – a known problem in the industry. Stockpair bonuses are given as “pending” and are released into the account when the volume is met. This is typical to Stockpair’s reputation of being client friendly.
In terms of trading, even fresh beginners can understand how their platform works. In many regards, StockPair trading is easier and less sophisticated then competing binary options platforms. The proper question isn’t “why should I choose StockPair as my broker?” Rather, the question you should ask yourself is “why not?” I say – YES! Definitely worth a shot!
StockPair Pair Trading Intro
If you haven’t heard of Pair Options yet, you’ve never been to StockPair website. Besides being a great binary options broker, they have those Pair Options they’re called after… (: In my opinion, StockPair Pair Options trading is an alternative trading method to Binary Options. They’re both binary, i.e. they both have put or call options, but the trading style is different. For me, Pair Options are a simpler and yet more “predictable” in a way. Traditional binary options trading, on the other hand, provides more great, new ways of generating profits online with more tools and trading options due to its revolutionary technology. StockPair now has them both.
So What is Pair trading? Pair Trading is similar to a combination between Forex trading and binary options trading; a trader has to choose between two assets, the goal is to decide which one of these two assets will perform better (relatively to other or the same value) after a specific expiry time. There are two kinds of trade possible:
The first is relatively value, called “Floating Pair”. For example, let’s say I choose the Google-Apple pair. Google is having a great day and the stock price goes higher and higher. Apple one the other hand, is having a slightly weak day, the stock price is going up but slowly and is more or less unstable. Now I need to choose- will Google’s value (now worth 622 points) be higher than Apple’s value (now worth 610 points) at the end of the day or the other way around? It’s up to you. Since Floating pair returns are based on a relative odds, choosing Google (the favorite stock to win) will generate around 10-15% while choosing Apple, which is considered the underdog, will generate around 400% in returns.
The second way of trading is the “Fixed Pair”. Let’s say I choose the Microsoft/Apple pair. Now, all I have to decide is which asset will perform better in the next XYZ time (expiry times range from a few minutes to a few days). The returns are fixed and even for both assets. Yes, pair options are very simple indeed.
Update January 2017: Their platform now sports new features, such as analysis from Trading Central (they are widely considered the top dog when it comes to technical analysis), time frame shifting, economic calendar and candlestick analysis, all available with the click of a mouse button, right on the platform.
StockPair Complaints
While we do our best to keep you in the know, we always advise you to do the homework on any broker you are considering depositing with, just to be on the safe side and ensure you are making the right choice. When we searched for StockPair complaints we couldn’t find a single angry comment. We checked several binary options forums and review sites, and the worst were frustrated US based traders (since StockPair isn’t accepting US clients any more under EU regulations). It seems like traders are satisfied with StockPair service, but it is advised to check again privately, just in case.
Update January 2017: They continue to be a respected brokerage but there’s no broker without complaints and StockPair is no exception. However, all complaints should be taken with a pinch of salt. For example, someone complained that StockPair charged an inactivity fee which was stipulated in their Terms and Conditions. Now you tell me who’s guilty here? Stockpair for charging an inactivity fee (by the way, most financial businesses charge that) or the client for not reading the T&Cs (which by the way, should always be read – like we’ve said millions of times). Another user complains that StockPair is not regulated in by the Ontario Securities Commission… well, guess what: they are not advertising their services there and besides, they are regulated all over Europe so… yea, take everything with a pinch of salt.
StockPair Regulatory Warnings and Announcements
06.07.2016: The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) raised concerns against over 40 unlicensed brokerages (both FX and Binary). Some of these entities, including StockPair, agreed to implement remedial actions appropriate to their circumstances. Source: ASIC Media Release 16-218MR.
22.09.2014: The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) warned that Nextrade Worldwide Ltd. (Stockpair) is not authorized to trade securities or to offer investing advice in their jurisdiction. Source: OSC Warning List.
StockPair Bonus
StockPair only offers their clients a bonus after depositing a minimum of $250. I know some traders are looking for big bonuses, but I always advise traders to refrain from bonuses, unless you’re a serious trader. The wager is 40* bonus given. In the case of withdrawal without fulfilling the wager requirements, all losses will be borne by the original deposit and the remaining balance may be withdrawn. There are also Cashbacks.
StockPair Withdrawal
The are no limits on the withdrawal, which is very important for serious traders. StockPair claims to process the request within 48 hours, then up to 5 working days have to pass until the money is available in your account. The usual methods for withdrawal are available: Credit Cards and wire transfers, as well as e-wallets (Neteller, Skrill).
StockPair Extra’s
At BOTS.com, we are looking for something different- not the regular ,so-called extra you read about in other review sites. Here is what we thought is different (and awesome!) about StockPair:
- Revolutionary Trading platform
- Transparency in business
- Up to 400% Return for a single trade – fixed options
- Reuters Live Quotes, very accurate
- Pair Trading
- KIKO
- Technical analysis provided by Trading Central
- Improved trading platform
StockPair Ratings
User Friendly 18/20
StockPair’s unique trading platform is browser-based, with no need for any software to be downloaded. The website appearance is crisp, modern and very user friendly. The site, as well as the trading platform, is very clean and elegant. There’s a FAQ section and tutorial for newbies as well. StockPair’s website is available in 8 different languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, German, Swedish and Dutch.
No. of Assets and Expiry time 19/20
Total of 106 assets, 14 Currency pairs, 7 Indices, 81 Stocks, 4 Commodities. The expiry times are extra awesome, stretching from 60 seconds to a couple of minutes, Intra Day and a few months, for most fixed pair assets; Floating pairs are available within a day, week or a month only. KIKO Options have NO fixed expiry time! Extra points for the expiry setting system!
Commissions, Support and Effective return 17/20
StockPair doesn’t charge any fees or commissions from investors when they first deposit or purchase options or afterward once they withdraw. StockPair’s support is available via 11 international numbers- in English, French, Italian and Spanish and more or via email. The live chat service is very quick and polite, although I didn’t like the form needed to be filled before the chat which includes E-mail and Phone number. The effective return is among the average-high in the industry- 85% In-The-Money, with an 80% average return for most assets for fixed pairs. Floating pairs could reach up to 400% or more return. There’s no Out-of-Money refund.
Deposit, Payment and Bonus 17/20
StockPair Minimum deposit is average – 250$ or 250€, that’s great for beginners. Deposit is available via C.C., Wire transfer, Neteller, Skrill and many more. Withdrawals are generally available via the same methods. StockPair offers a welcome bonus of up to 60% only for a minimum deposit of $250-$500. There are also monthly cash backs on volume. The required turnover for the bonus is 40 times but your money is NOT tied to the platform so you can withdraw at any time (the bonus will be forfeited if you withdraw before the turnover is reached).
Website Extra’s 18/20
Pair Options Extras: in the Binary Options Trading department, StockPair has some great trading tools, such as the early closure and extend, the charts that are extremely helpful and last, StockPair supplies its customers with market reviews, guide and news, all live and updated! A personal favorite of mine is the introduction of KIKO Options, a feature exclusive to StockPair, which gets them the extra points for this category.