Ardu Prime Review 2023

Trust

Ardu Prime Regulations

In our reviews, we examine the licenses and regulations of each entity operated by a broker. This allows us to compare each entity’s different levels of protection. We rank licenses by various regulatory bodies on a three-tier system, where Tier-1 licensing indicates the highest level of regulation.

• Ardu Prime SA is authorized and regulated by the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) in Greece. HCMC ranks as a Tier-2 regulator on our system.

We have summarized the most essential aspects of Ardu Prime SA in terms of regulation and safety in the table below:

* Except for cases of extreme market volatility

Why is it Important to Know Where Your Broker is Regulated?

A broker is mandated to comply with the financial directives of the country where its regulator is based. This means that not all regulators ensure the same level of protection, which is why traders must be aware of the safety procedures their broker is made to follow.

We have listed the most important safety policies to look for in a broker below:

• Segregation of client funds. In order to decrease the risk of accounting errors, most brokers are required to keep their clients’ funds in separate bank accounts from the ones they use for their corporate capital. Ardu Prime complies with this requirement.
• Negative balance protection. The negative balance protection policy ensures that a trader’s losses cannot exceed their account balance. Being regulated by HCMC, Ardu Prime is required to provide negative balance protection to retail traders.
• Compensation scheme. A compensation scheme protects the client against the company’s liabilities. In the unlikely event of Ardu Prime becoming insolvent, its clients can be compensated by up to 30,000 EUR.
• Maximum leverage. By capping the maximum leverage permitted, the broker limits the maximum market exposure for retail traders. This decreases the potential losses that can be incurred due to adverse fluctuations. Under MiFID II, Ardu Prime’s maximum leverage is 1:30 for Standard and Premium accounts and 1:100 for Institutional accounts.

Is Ardu Prime Safe to Trade With?

Ardu Prime operates under the MiFID II directive ensuring compliance with some of the industry’s strictest guidelines. As stated in Ardu Prime’s Trading Rules and Regulations, “the client under market normality is highly unlikely to lose more than his/ her overall invested capital (deposit).”

Ardu Prime has temporary permission from the FCA to provide certain financial services to clients in the UK. It is also authorized by BaFin to provide financial services to traders in the Federal Republic of Germany. The broker also has a ‘best execution’ policy. Consequently, Ardu Prime is indeed quite safe to trade with.

Stability and Transparency

In our tests for the Trust category, we also cover factors relating to stability and transparency. Here, we focus on how long the broker has been in business, how big the company is, and how transparent it is in terms of readily available information.

The broker has existed for over two decades, demonstrating its business model’s stability. It is also fairly transparent, with some minor exceptions. There is no exhaustive list of available trading instruments on the website, and the ‘Contract Specification’ page was not available at the time of our review. Additionally, the ‘Account Types’ section states that the spread rates on a Standard account start from 1.6 pips, whereas in practice, these are higher.

There is also very little information concerning Ardu Prime’s Islamic and demo accounts (it is only available in the FAQ section). Despite these minor discrepancies, however, the company is very transparent where it needs to be. For instance, the ‘Our Team’ section of the website contains relevant information concerning the people running Ardu Prime.

In summary, our findings indicate that Ardu Prime can be regarded as having a good level of trust and stability due to the following factors:

• Ardu Prime has existed for over 20 years.
• The broker is licensed and authorized by a Tier-2 regulator.
• The company complies with most safety regulations.

Fees

Ardu Prime Trading Fees

Ardu Prime’s Spreads

We tested Ardu Prime’s spreads during the most actively traded times – the London open at 8 AM GMT and just after the U.S. open at 2:45 PM GMT. The test was conducted on 22 November 2022.

Ardu Prime’s spreads on FX majors and commodities are quite high on a Standard account. Nevertheless, the spread rates on some blue chip stocks, indices, and cryptos are a lot more reasonable and, in some cases, lower than the industry average. It follows that Ardu Prime’s most competitive spreads can be found on higher-risk assets. This competitiveness is further enhanced by the fact that the Standard account affords commission-free trading.

Ardu Prime’s Swap Rates

A swap fee is a trader’s cost for holding an open position overnight because of changing interest rates. Swap long refers to the charge deductible or credit receivable for holding a buy position open overnight. In turn, swap short relates to the charges/credits deductible or receivable for holding a selling position open overnight.

The values listed below are for one full contract (100,000 units) of the base currency.

At the time of our review, we found the broker’s swap rates lower than the industry average. Ardu Prime’s swaps are likely to fluctuate over time as they are subject to the market’s changing volatility levels.

Ardu Prime’s Commissions

Trading with instruments from most asset classes on a Standard Ardu Prime account is commission-free, except CFD shares. There is a fixed $0.02 commission per share (or $10 minimum), which is average for the industry. In comparison, the minimum commission on a Premium Ardu Prime account is $5.

Ardu Prime’s Non-Trading Fees

The broker does not charge inactive accounts with a maintenance fee. It also does not have any handling fees for deposits or withdrawals; however, third-party banking fees may apply depending on the payment method.

Are Ardu Prime’s Fees Competitive?

The competitiveness of Ardu Prime’s fees depends on the type and quantity of the traded instrument. For instance, there is no commission for trading FX majors on a Standard account, but the spreads exceed the industry average. Arguably, the assets with the most competitive trading fees are indices and cryptocurrencies. This is why high-volatility traders interested in higher-risk instruments generally enjoy the most competitive conditions with Ardu Prime.

Platforms and Tools

MT5 has a decent amount of drawing tools, technical indicators, and other secondary tools allowing for the execution of basic technical analyses. However, its design is somewhat dated and rugged, decreasing its user-friendliness. On the other hand, MT5’s simplicity makes it easy to navigate, meaning that even novice traders can get used to the platform’s layout fairly quickly.

The mobile app retains the practicality of MT5’s desktop version, affording traders quick and easy access to their accounts. This is very important for making emergency adjustments to your open trades while on the go.

Ardu Prime does not have social trading, but its clients interested in algorithmic trading can use MT5’s Expert Advisors (EAs) feature.

Ardu Prime’s Desktop MT5 Platform

General Ease of Use

The biggest advantage of MT5 is the simplicity of its design. The charts are positioned in the middle of the screen, account info can be found at the bottom, the watch lists and other trading options are positioned on the left, and the settings menu can be found on the above panel.

Charts

The chart is arguably the most important component of every platform. Traders use it to observe price action behavior and make informed trading decisions. Hence, the flexibility of the chart and its array of supporting tools is of key importance for conducting probing technical analyses.

Here is a breakdown of the tools available on MT5’s charts:

• Trading indicators. The chart consists of 38 different trading indicators that can be used to determine the direction of a trend, trading volume, and major support and resistance levels. Some of the more popular instruments include the MACD, Bollinger Bands, and the Ichimoku Cloud indicator.
• Drawing tools. There are 24 drawing tools, such as trend lines, channels, and Fibonacci retracement levels. These are used to study price action behavior and determine key support and resistance levels, as well as potential breakout or breakdown levels within established trends.
• Timeframes. Perhaps most noteworthy, the platform has 21 different timeframes. This is well above the industry average and affords traders a multifaceted overview of price action behavior. This diversity is arguably the biggest advantage of MT5 as it accommodates the implementation of widely different strategies – from scalping to position trading.
• Chart types. Price action can be represented in one of three ways – as a line, using bars or candlesticks.

Orders

Here is a list of MT5’s several order types:

• Market orders. Market orders are used for immediate entry at the best possible price. If triggered, they guarantee volume filling, though there could be a discrepancy between the requested price and the price where the order actually gets filled.
• Limit orders. Unlike market orders, limit orders guarantee exact price execution. However, a limit order will not be filled if the price action does not reach the pre-determined execution price.
• Stop loss orders. They are used to support open positions by limiting the maximum loss that can be incurred if the market turns in the opposite direction. A stop-loss order is placed at a fixed price below or above the spot price. If the market does indeed turn and triggers the stop-loss, it will transform into a market order and get filled at the best possible price.

Ardu Prime’s Mobile MT5 App

MT5’s mobile app allows traders to stay connected to their accounts at all times, which is indispensable when having to make snap adjustments to any open positions. Because it has to be run on smaller-screen devices, the app feels even more clunky than the desktop version. The app is thus unsuitable for conducting probing technical research, but it can be quite useful for monitoring the performance of one’s account.

General Ease of Use

The app has several main components, including a charts window where price action can be observed, a quotes window representing a watch list of selected instruments, and the trade window where orders can be placed. There is also the news feed section.

Navigating the app is fairly easy, as everything is usually no more than several clicks away. However, the charts window does not afford in-depth examinations of price action behavior.

Charts

Listed below, are the chart tools available on the app:

• Trading indicators. The app incorporates 30 trading indicators, less than the desktop version. These include trend-based, range-based, volume-based, and other types of indicators.
• Drawing tools. There are 21 drawing tools, such as trend lines and channels. Due to low resolution, the chart can be overcrowded with indicators and drawing tools fairly easily.
• Timeframes. There are 8 different timeframes ranging from 1 minute to 1 month. This is comparatively less than the 21 timeframes that are available on the desktop version.
• Chart types. Once again, there are only three chart settings. Price action can be represented as a line, bars, and candlesticks.

Orders

Here is a breakdown of the different order types that can be executed through the app:

• Market orders. Market orders are used for immediate entry at best possible price. If triggered, they guarantee volume filling, though there could be a discrepancy between the requested price and the price where the order gets actually filled.
• Limit orders. Unlike market orders, limit orders guarantee exact price execution. However, a limit order will not be filled if the price action does not reach the pre-determined execution price.
• Stop loss orders. They are used to support open positions by limiting the maximum loss that can be incurred if the market turns in the opposite direction. A stop-loss order is placed at a fixed price below or above the spot price.

Tradable Instruments

This diversity is important because it affords traders with varying levels of risk aversion the flexibility to exploit different opportunities on the market by choosing from lower-risk securities like bonds to higher-risk assets like cryptocurrencies.

What are CFDs?

Contracts for difference (CFDs) are derivatives used to speculate on the price of the underlying without physical delivery. For example, a long position on gold would generate a profit as the price rises or incur a loss as it falls. This is achieved without having to purchase actual bars of gold. One of the biggest advantages of trading CFDs is that traders can get in and out of the market almost instantaneously, thereby catching even minute changes in the price of the derivative.

What Can You Trade With Ardu Prime?

Listed below are the available instruments on a Standard account broken down by asset class:

• 51 Currency Pairs
  • Majors, Minors, Exotic
• 8 Commodities
  • Metals and Energy
• 105 CFD Stocks
  • Tech, Financial, Energy, Others.
• 15 Indices
  • UK, Europe, U.S.
• 30 Cryptocurrencies
  • Majors and Minors
• 3 Others
  • VIX, Currency Indices

The broker offers a decent amount of forex pairs and CFDs on shares and a wide range of indices and cryptocurrencies. This variety is important given that these are instruments with lower-to-medium spreads. Another point worth mentioning is the inclusion of 5 special CFDs, like the VIX, bonds, and currency indices. These allow more experienced traders to take advantage of more complex trading opportunities, such as fluctuations in underlying market volatility.

Customer Support

For more general questions, traders are advised to turn to Ardu Prime’s dedicated FAQ section. Alternatively, more specific queries can be submitted via the contact form on the website or over the phone. In the first case, clients can expect prompt responses via email that are, for the most part, detailed and informative. In the latter, however, there could be certain difficulties in getting in touch with the support team.

Ardu Prime’s Customer Support Test

When we test a broker’s customer support team, we evaluate the agents’ knowledge of their own website, how long it takes them to respond to questions, and how detailed their answers are.

When we submitted a question via the contact form on the website regarding Ardu Prime’s safety policies, we received a detailed response within minutes. The agent talked about Ardu’s ‘account balance protection’ scheme and the broker’s stop-out levels. He was polite with a good command of English.

However, when we tried reaching out to the support team over the phone, the agent who answered our call straightaway asked if it were possible to speak a little bit later. However, they never returned the call.

Deposit and Withdrawal

Ardu Prime Deposit Methods

Ardu Prime Withdrawal Methods

While traders cannot use e-wallets to fund their accounts with Ardu Prime, cryptocurrency traders are helped by the fact that the broker accepts payments via crypto wallets. This is particularly useful given that they can use cryptos as a base currency for their accounts. Hence, traders can avoid losing money from unfavorable exchange rates in some cases.

Account Types and Terms

The Standard account is the most accessible of the bunch, with a minimum deposit requirement of $250, but it also has the highest trading costs. The Premium account type has lower spreads and fixed commissions, however, its minimum balance requirement is $25,000. In contrast, the Institutional account’s parameters can be tailored depending on the client’s demands and the broker’s policies.

Why is Choosing the Right Account Type Important?

Some traders are more aggressive, while others are conservative by nature. Different traders have different styles, goals, and needs, so there is no uniform account type catering to everybody at once. Instead, it is up to each trader to pick the one account type that best matches their aspirations and means. The right account type would naturally enhance the strong aspects of a trader’s strategy and minimize the adverse impact of its drawbacks.

What Account Types Does Ardu Prime Offer?

While most brokers tend to offer a mixture of ECN and STP account types – the former usually having fixed commissions and raw spreads, while the latter affording commission-free trading and floating spreads – Ardu Prime offers an amalgamation of the two. The Standard account has floating spreads starting from 1.6 pips (in practice, they are higher — please refer to the Fees section of the review) and a fixed $0.02 commission per CFD share. The Premium account type offers lower spreads and commissions.

It follows that the two account types can be used by both high-frequency traders, such as intraday traders who stand to gain more from commission-free accounts, and high-volume traders, who are not as active and are instead more interested in having lower spreads. In both cases, a trader’s benefit also depends on the asset class of the underlying instrument being traded. Traders should also consider the considerable discrepancy in the minimum deposit requirements of the two account types.

What is CFD Leverage?

The leverage determines a trader’s overall market exposure. When trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs), positions can be opened for a fraction of their value because of the leverage. Essentially, the broker lends the trader money so that the latter can open bigger-sized positions. The leverage multiplies the profits a trader generates from winning positions but also the losses incurred from failed trades.

Ardu Prime Account Opening Process

We have summarized the essential steps necessary to open an account with Ardu Prime below:

• Step 1. Click the ‘Open Account’ button in blue at the top-right corner of the main page.
• Step 2. Fill in personal information, including your name, email address, phone number, passwords, and others.
• Step 3. Click the link provided in the confirmation email to log in to the client portal.
• Step 4. Complete your client application in the client portal specifying your trading experience, employment history, and preferences.
• Step 5. Verify your account by providing a copy of a personal ID document, such as a driver’s license or passport.

Why is a Demo Account Important?

Demo accounts serve a twofold purpose – introducing traders to a broker’s services and allowing them to tweak their strategies in a risk-free environment. The market is continually evolving, and its underlying conditions are never static, which is why demo accounts are such indispensable tools in the arsenal of every trader.

Ardu Prime Supported Countries

Ardu Prime does not provide services for citizens of certain regions, such as the United States, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Belarus.

Research

Clients of Ardu Prime with active accounts are granted access to Trading Central’s multifaceted research content, which covers current market developments and outlines potential trading opportunities. Trading Central’s insights can be beneficial to both beginners and advanced traders.

Research Tools

Listed below are different types of research materials made available to clients of Ardu Prime:

• Weekly Outlook. The only in-house type of content published by Ardu Prime, the weekly outlooks function as a detailed economic calendar. They can be accessed freely on the website and break down the most significant events likely to drive the market each week.
• Market Buzz & Crowd Insight. We found the Market Buzz & Crowd Insight feature of Trading Central very practical. It helps traders gauge the underlying market sentiment and discern whether it is bullish or bearish. Traders can also use it to see how many engagements there have been with a particular instrument over the last 24 hours, allowing them to measure any likely changes in the underlying volatility. This feature also serves as a news section.
• Analyst Views. This section provides trading ideas. Each idea is supported by a chart, main pivot points, support and resistance levels, a technical breakdown, and target levels. There is a continual flow of ideas, helping traders gain a comprehensive understanding of changing market bias.

Education

Even though there is an ‘Education’ section on the website, it contains the above-mentioned weekly breakdowns and a glossary. The glossary includes descriptions and explanations of a wide selection of trading terms and concepts but does not explore any broader topics. MT5 has several in-built videos explaining how the platform functions, but there aren’t any other educational videos.

Beginner traders can get access to Trading Central investment analysis tools upon registration. They may use the glossary in conjunction with Trading Central’s regular content, but this is not enough to teach them everything about technical, fundamental, or psychological analyses. Traders can always obtain research from outside sources or use the services offered by the MT5 trading community.

The Bottom Line

Ardu Prime is a derivatives OTC broker headquartered in Greece with UK offices. The award-winning company was founded in 1999 and has been evolving and adapting to changing market trends ever since. An example of this is the development of its own cryptocurrency exchange—Ardu Crypto—and the payment service Ardu Pay.

Ardu Prime has a diverse set of trading accounts catering to the needs of all kinds of traders and a wide selection of tradable instruments from different asset classes. The broker also excels in market research due to the incorporation of sophisticated content from third-party providers like Trading Central.

Ardu Prime is licensed by a Tier-2 regulator in Europe (HCMC) and adheres to most safety policies in the industry. The broker’s trading fees are generally higher than the industry average, while its customer support leaves more to be desired.

Even though Ardu Prime offers limited educational materials, beginners can benefit from Trading Central’s comprehensive materials that are made available to clients of the broker. Accordingly, seasoned, high-volatility traders can take advantage of Ardu Prime’s development of cryptocurrency trading and investing solutions and its diverse trading accounts containing both STP and ECN features.

FAQ