Investors are spoilt for choice when it comes to opportunities in the European stock market. Follow our five-step plan to get started and discover some of the most popular European shares available, including their costs.
Investing in European shares
Investing in European shares involves buying the shares outright by putting up the full value of the position.
Why would I invest?
You want to enjoy dividends
You plan to invest over the long term
You want to own shares outright
You want voting rights in the companies you invest in
Trading European shares
Trading European shares involves derivative products like contracts for difference (CFDs).
Why would I trade?
You can open a position with just a small initial deposit called margin
You can make a profit whether the stock’s value goes up or down
You can choose to go long or short in different market conditions
CFDs can be used to hedge your porfolio
Open a shares account
When you sign up with IG, you can open a trading account to trade CFDs . It only takes a few minutes to open an account with our simple sign-up form on our website or via our app.
Create an account today
Understand the charges to buy European shares
If you’re looking to trade in European stocks, then you’ll pay a minimum commission of €10 to open a position. There may be other charges, like funding cost, to consider.
Commission per trade
Minimum charge online
Minimum charge phone
Ireland
0.1%
€10
€50
Germany
0.1%
€10
€50
Netherlands
0.1%
€10
€50
Belgium
0.1%
€10
€50
Austria
0.1%
€10
€50
Learn more about our full CFD charges
Choose the European shares you want to buy
Europe is home to many well-known international companies, including these blue-chip stocks:
German software multinational SAP
French international healthcare provider Sanofi
Swedish online gaming giant Evolution Gaming Group
Finnish renewable solutions company Neste
Dutch consumer goods business Unilever
Create an account today
Buy European stocks
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Netherlands
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Buying Austrian shares: what you need to know
You can buy Austrian shares listed on the Wiener Börse AG (WBAG), also known as the Vienna Stock Exchange
Examples of major Austrian shares include Verbund, Erste Group Bank and OMV
You can trade Austrian shares with Contract for Difference (CFD)
Buying Belgian shares: what you need to know
With IG, you can buy Belgian shares listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange
You might consider buying shares in Ageas, Ackermans & van Haaren and Proximus
You can buy Belgian shares with CFDs
Buying Danish shares: what you need to know
We offer Danish shares listed on the Nasdaq Copenhagen stock exchange
Some of Denmark’s blue-chip stocks include the brewer Carlsberg, transportation company Maersk and jeweller Pandora
You can trade in any Danish companies with CFDs
Buying Dutch shares: what you need to know
You can buy Dutch shares on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange
Popular Dutch companies include the likes of Unilever, Heineken, Just Eat Takeaway.com and the IMCD Group
You can buy Dutch shares with derivatives like CFDs
Buying Finnish shares: what you need to know
We provide access to Finnish shares listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange
Finnish stocks you might consider include telecommunications giant Nokia, renewable energy supplier Neste and elevator company Kone
Take a position on Finnish stocks with a CFD account
Buying French shares: what you need to know
If you’re interested in French companies, we offer trading on stocks listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange
There are a number of popular French shares to choose from, including automobile manufacturer Renault, oil and gas giant Total, food company Danone, cosmetics company L'Oréal and public relations agency Publicis Groupe
French shares can be accessed with CFDs
Buying German shares: what you need to know
You can buy German shares listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Xetra)
There are a number of notable German stocks you can buy, including Adidas, Allianz, Deutsche Bank, SAP and Volkswagen
You can add German shares to your portfolio with CFDs
Buying Greek shares: what you need to know
If you’re interested in exploring the Greek stock market, we offer trading on shares listed on the Athens Stock Exchange
Well-known Greek shares you can buy include the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, the retailer Jumbo, Aegean Airlines and Alpha Bank
You can trade them using CFDs
