Direct market access (DMA) is a method of placing trades directly on exchange order books. DMA provides greater market visibility, whereas IG's L2 Dealer technology aggregates prices from multiple exchanges. However, because of the risks and complexities involved, it is usually only recommended for advanced traders.
DMA allows you to interact directly with stock or currency exchanges, bypassing any aggregation of over-the-counter orders, allowing you to set your own price. DMA is available through CFD trading at IG.

Direct Market Access (DMA) refers to a system that allows traders, typically institutional or advanced retail investors, to interact directly with the financial markets, bypassing traditional intermediaries like brokers. With DMA, traders can place orders directly on the electronic trading platforms of exchanges, providing greater control over the execution of trades.

This setup offers several advantages, including faster execution speeds, better transparency, and access to real-time market data. DMA also allows traders to fine-tune their orders with more precision, such as setting specific pricing strategies. Institutional investors, hedge funds, and proprietary trading firms often use DMA to take advantage of these features for high-frequency trading, arbitrage, or algorithmic strategies, ultimately optimizing their trading performance and cost efficiency.