How to Trade BDO Stock CFDs

A standard lot of BDO Unibank (PSE: BDO) CFD is 100 shares. With the share price near PHP 150, that is a PHP 15,000 notional position. On the Raw account, the commission is USD 3.50 per side. That works out to roughly PHP 400 round-turn before the spread. On the Standard account, there is no commission, but you pay a spread from 1.0 pip. For a stock CFD, that spread is wider than the commission on Raw. If you trade size, Raw wins on cost every time.

This page covers the practical side of trading BDO, the country’s largest universal bank, through an international CFD broker. We break down the fees, the platform, and what to check in the Philippines before you fund an account.

The Cost Breakdown

The spread is the primary cost on Standard. On Raw, the spread tightens but the commission kicks in. For a stock like BDO, the difference is marginal on a single lot but becomes significant for scalpers or larger volumes. There are no broker-side deposit or withdrawal fees, which keeps the entry and exit costs predictable.

Why BDO Matters

BDO Unibank is not just another ticker. It is the largest bank in the Philippines by assets and a heavyweight component of the PSEi index. Retail investors follow it because it is a core banking stock for income and stability. The bank is a consistent dividend payer, which makes it attractive for long-term holders, and its liquidity is high enough for active traders.

In the CFD market, BDO is commonly offered by international brokers. Eightcap structures it as a share CFD, meaning you are speculating on the price movement without owning the underlying shares. This gives you access to leverage and the ability to go short, neither of which is possible with a standard brokerage account at the PSE.

Leverage and True Costs

Leverage is where the real risk sits. Eightcap offers leverage up to 1:500 on forex via its offshore entity. This is not set by a local regulator and is far beyond the 1:25 maximum historically framed under BSP Circular No. 969 for locally offered products. For a stock CFD on BDO, this means a PHP 15,000 position could require only PHP 30 in margin at maximum leverage.

In practice, most traders should not use maximum leverage on a single stock. The cost of the trade is fixed, but the capital at risk scales with leverage. On the Raw account, you pay a set commission per lot regardless of leverage, so there is no cost benefit to using more leverage, only more risk.

What You Need to Open an Account

Eightcap accepts Philippine retail clients under its offshore entity, Eightcap Global Limited, regulated by the Bahamas Securities Commission (SCB) under licence SIA-F220. The broker is not authorised by the Philippine SEC, which issues public advisories against unlicensed investment solicitation. This is a standard offshore setup for Filipino traders, as the SEC does not currently issue local retail forex or CFD dealer licences.

To fund the account, the minimum deposit is USD 100.

Base currency options include USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, and others. There is no PHP account verified, so expect a PHP-USD conversion fee of roughly 1-3% depending on your payment method. E-wallet deposits are near-instant, while withdrawals typically take 1-3 business days.

Trading Platforms for BDO

Eightcap provides access to BDO CFDs across multiple platforms, so you can pick the one that matches your workflow.

The TradingView integration is a strong point. BDO is a liquid stock with clear technical patterns, and TradingView’s charting tools give you the same interface you would use for US or global equities.

The Less Shiny Side

Offshore regulation is the main caveat. Eightcap is not supervised by the Philippine SEC, and the SEC publishes advisories against unregistered investment platforms. You can verify the current list on the SEC website. The broker does hold a Bahamas SCB licence, so it is not unregulated, but that regulator does not provide the same level of protection as an FCA or ASIC licence.

Taxation is another factor. Forex and CFD profits are taxed as ordinary income in the Philippines, reported under "Other Taxable Income" on your annual return. Only realised net gains are included, and net losses can be claimed as itemized deductions. Resident citizens are taxed on worldwide income, so you must declare profits from offshore trading.

Is It Worth It for You

The core question is whether you want to trade BDO as a speculative instrument or hold it as an investment. If you want dividends and long-term exposure, buy the stock through a local broker like COL Financial or BPI Trade. If you want to trade the price action with leverage and the ability to short, a CFD account with Eightcap works, but only if you respect what offshore leverage actually means.

What to Check Before You Fund

Before you deposit, verify the local regulatory picture. The Philippine SEC does not issue local retail forex or CFD dealer licences, so most Filipino traders use offshore-regulated brokers. Eightcap operates here under its Bahamas SCB licence. Confirm the broker’s current registration status on the SEC advisories page and check the BSP’s rules on outward investments if you are funding from a bank transfer.

Check the payment rails too. GCash and Maya are common for deposits with offshore brokers, but the base currency is USD, so you will pay conversion fees. Dragonpay is reported for the region, but verify it is available in your account before you rely on it. Finally, recalculate the true cost of a round-turn trade on BDO, including spreads, commissions, and conversion, before you size a position.