Blog 23 v2

Best Forex Broker for News Trading (2026 Guide)

By Joanne Cassar / 23. Sep 2026

AssetsFX Broker

IC Markets - Regulated By FSA

Why Most Brokers Struggle During News

When a major release hits — Non-Farm Payrolls, CPI, a central bank rate decision — liquidity providers pull back their quotes for a few seconds to protect themselves from the volatility. Brokers running a dealing-desk (market-maker) model often widen spreads dramatically or reject orders altogether during this window, because they're taking the other side of your trade. ECN/STP brokers, by contrast, pass your order straight to liquidity providers, so while spreads still widen, execution tends to be more consistent and re-quotes are far less common.

What to Look For in a News-Trading Broker

  • True ECN or STP execution. Market execution rather than instant execution reduces the chance of a rejected order during a spike.
  • No restrictions on trading around news. Some brokers explicitly restrict or flag "high-impact news trading" in their terms — read the fine print before committing capital.
  • Deep liquidity and multiple LP connections. More liquidity providers generally means tighter effective spreads even during volatility.
  • Fast, verifiable execution speed. Look for published average execution times (ideally under 100ms) rather than marketing claims alone.
  • A demo account with a live economic calendar so you can test the broker's actual behavior during a real news event before funding a live account.

Brokers Frequently Mentioned for News Trading

Pepperstone and IC Markets are two of the most commonly referenced brokers among news traders, largely due to their Raw/Razor ECN accounts, which route orders directly to liquidity pools rather than through a dealing desk. FP Markets and ThinkMarkets are also frequently cited for similar reasons — low-latency infrastructure and a stated no-dealing-desk model.

That said, "best" is relative to your regulatory region, account size and the specific pairs you trade around news — always verify current execution statistics and terms directly with the broker, since these can change.

How to Test a Broker Before Trading News Live

  1. Open a demo account and simulate a news event. Most platforms let you trade through historical high-volatility periods.
  2. Check the spread behavior in real time during an actual release, even with a small live position, before scaling up.
  3. Read the broker's order execution policy — specifically language around slippage, re-quotes, and news-time restrictions.
  4. Ask support directly whether there are any restrictions on trading specific news events — get it in writing if possible.
  5. Start with the smallest viable position size the first few times you trade news live with a new broker, regardless of how well it performed on demo.

Risks Specific to News Trading

Spreads during major news releases can widen by 5–10x their normal size in seconds, and even a well-regulated ECN broker cannot guarantee execution at your requested price during extreme volatility. Slippage — both for and against you — is a normal part of news trading, not a sign of broker misconduct. Stop-losses can also be skipped over ("gapped") during extreme moves, meaning your actual loss can exceed what you planned for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ECN better than market maker brokers for news trading?

Generally yes. ECN/STP brokers route orders to external liquidity rather than taking the other side of the trade themselves, which tends to reduce (though not eliminate) re-quotes and order rejections during volatile news events.

Can a regulated broker restrict news trading?

Some brokers do apply restrictions or disclaimers around trading specific high-impact news events — this is disclosed in the account terms, so it's worth checking before you rely on a broker for this strategy.

Do all brokers widen spreads during news?

Yes, virtually all brokers widen spreads during major news releases because liquidity providers pull back their quotes; the difference between brokers is how much they widen and how quickly they return to normal.

Is a low spread meaningless during news events?

Not meaningless, but less relevant in that moment — the advertised low spread applies to normal market conditions. What matters more during news is execution reliability and how the broker handles the spread spike, not the baseline number.

Not financial advice — verify current execution conditions, regulation and terms directly with any broker before trading.