In the ever-shifting landscape of active stock trading, high trading volume often signals strong market interest, impending price shifts, and, crucially, the liquidity needed to enter and exit positions with ease. For UK traders, identifying the most active stocks is the first step in uncovering where the market momentum lies. However, finding a trending stock is only half of the puzzle.
In this report, we bridge the gap between market activity and trading costs. By ranking the top 10 most active UK stocks via TradingView’s ‘Most active’ screener, followed by a sector analysis and a side-by-side comparison across some of the United Kingdom’s leading retail brokers, we provide a data-driven overview for those looking to trade the London Stock Exchange’s most liquid assets at the best possible price.
Top 10 Most Actively Traded UK Stocks
As per TradingView data, valid as of March 09, 2026, we have listed the most actively traded stocks in the UK market by selecting the ‘Most Active’ screener. Stocks with the largest daily turnover usually appear at the top of the ‘Most Active’ category. We have also included supporting data to identify why these stocks are currently dominating the market.
While this analysis captures a specific moment in time, the approach remains universal. By following this pattern, traders can independently audit market activity and broker costs whenever volatility spikes.
| Stock | Ticker | Turnover (1day), B GBX* | Price, GBX | Change % | Volume | Relative Volume | Market Cap, B GBP | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Plc | SHEL | 51.37 | 3,133.00 | +0.80% | 16.4 M | 0.98 | 176.52 | Energy minerals |
| HSBC Holdings Plc | HSBA | 47.82 | 1,245.00 | -2.64% | 38.41 M | 1.49 | 213.83 | Finance |
| RELX PLC | REL | 42.79 | 2,640.00 | +0.65% | 16.21 M | 1.29 | 47.43 | Commercial Services |
| BP PLC | BP | 34.35 | 498.90 | +1.41% | 68.86 M | 1.16 | 76.68 | Energy minerals |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings plc | RR. | 32.88 | 1,265.00 | -1.94% | 26.00 M | 0.57 | 106.55 | Electronic technology |
| Unilever PLC | ULVR | 25.77 | 4,935.00 | -2.39% | 5.22 M | 1.29 | 107.84 | Consumer non-durables |
| Anglo American plc | AAL | 23.65 | 3,231.00 | -4.38% | 7.32 M | 1.01 | 34.87 | Non-energy minerals |
| Lloyds Banking Group plc | LLOY | 23.35 | 95.42 | -1.53% | 244.72 M | 1.02 | 56.13 | Finance |
| British American Tobacco p. l. c. | BATS | 18.89 | 4,282.00 | -2.42% | 4.41 M | 0.80 | 92.84 | Consumer non-durables |
| Glencore plc | GLEN | 18.48 | 502.80 | -2.43 | 36.76 M | 1.03 | 58.81 | Distribution services |
* Prices on the LSE are quoted in GBX (pence Sterling) rather than GBP (£). This provides greater precision for high-volume stocks.
Please note that companies’ rankings by turnover (price*volume) are subject to change.
Volume is a primary metric, reflecting the raw number of shares traded in a single trading day. Relative Volume, on the other hand, is a ratio comparing the current volume of a given stock to its historical average over a certain period of time.
The Change % represents the percentage increase or decrease in a stock’s price compared to its previous day’s closing price. While Volume tells you how many people are trading, Change % tells you how much the price is actually moving as a result.
Once traders find the most active stocks, they can easily identify which sector is currently attracting the most capital. If the Energy sector is trending due to rising oil prices, that is where you will find the highest volume and the most significant price moves. We will provide a sector analysis later in this report.
The Market Cap indicator helps traders distinguish between large-cap and small-cap stocks; the former typically trade with tighter spreads, which is relevant when evaluating leading UK retail brokerages that offer the tightest spreads.
Sector Analysis
Now that we have identified the top 10 most actively traded companies in the UK market, we can analyse the sectors in which they operate. These include Energy Minerals, Finance, Consumer Non-Durables, Commercial Services, Electronic Technology, Non-Energy Minerals, and Distribution Services.
The report’s sector analysis is based on the combined daily turnover of the top 10 companies, grouped by industry. The top three sectors are Energy Minerals, Finance, and Consumer Non-Durables, indicating that a large portion of the day’s trading activity is concentrated in these industries.
Sector Analysis by Combined Daily Turnover across Top 10 Most Active Stocks, as of March, 2026
When looking at the combined market capitalisation of the same ten companies, grouped by sector, the distribution appears broadly similar. However, the Finance sector takes the lead over Energy Minerals.
Sector Analysis by Combined Market Cap across Top 10 Most Active Stocks, as of March 2026
Finance and Energy Minerals dominate both metrics, highlighting their central role in market liquidity and investor interest. Overall, the most actively traded stocks typically feature tighter spreads and higher liquidity, allowing for faster and more efficient order execution. As a result, they provide a reliable benchmark for comparing stock CFD trading costs across leading UK retail brokers.
Spread Comparison of Top 10 Most Active UK Stocks across Leading UK Retail Brokers
The table below compares the stock CFD trading costs of some of the most actively traded UK shares across three FCA-licensed brokers, CMC Markets, Plus500, and Eightcap.
| Company/Ticker | CMC Markets | Plus500 | Eightcap | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock CFD Spread | Stock CFD Commission | Stock CFD Spread | Stock CFD Commission | Stock CFD Spread | Stock CFD Commission | |
| Shell Plc/SHEL | 0.50 | – | – | – | – | – |
| HSBC Holdings Plc/HSBA | 0.20 | – | 0.67 | – | 0.00 | $2 USD per lot, per side ($4 round trip) |
| RELX PLC/REL | 1.00 | – | 13.34 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| BP PLC/BP | 0.05 | – | 2.54 | – | – | |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings plc/RR. | 0.50 | – | 4.95 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| Unilever PLC/ULVR | 1.00 | – | 24.55 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| Anglo American plc/AAL | 1.00 | – | 23.43 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| Lloyds Banking Group plc/LLOY | 0.02 | – | 0.57 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| British American Tobacco p. l. c./BATS | 1.00 | – | 21.56 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
| Glencore plc/GLEN | 0.10 | – | 3.81 | – | 0.1 | 0.1% per side (entry and exit of trade) |
It is important to note that brokers use different pricing models for share CFDs. CMC Markets and Plus500 apply a spread-only structure for UK share CFDs, meaning the trading cost is embedded directly in the bid-ask spread. Eightcap, by contrast, uses a combined pricing model, where traders pay both the spread and a commission of 0.1% per side (0.2% per round-trip) when opening and closing a position.
Spread Comparison
To illustrate how these models impact real costs, we compare the trading costs of RELX PLC CFDs across the three brokers. The table below assumes a £10,000 CFD position and uses each broker’s current share price and published spread.
| Broker | Spread | Current Share Price (pence) | Spread % of share price | Commission | Calculation | Total cost (£10,000 trade) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMC Markets | 1.00 | 2,664.00 | 0.0375% | £0 | £10,000×0.0375% | £3.75 |
| Plus500 | 13.34 | 2,688.77 | 0.4964% | £0 | £10,000×0.4964% | £49.64 |
| Eightcap | 0.1 | 2,653.00 | 0.0037% | 0.1% per side (0.2% round-trip) | £10,000×0.0037% + 0.2%=£0.38 + £20 | £20.38 |
Spread values are in pence, and total trading costs are calculated as spread percentage × position value plus any applicable commissions.
Despite advertising zero commission, Plus500 appears more expensive due to the wider spread. CMC Markets offers the lowest effective trading cost in this example, while Eightcap’s commission-based structure results in a mid-range overall cost.
When comparing CFD brokers, both the spread size relative to the share price and any per-side commission must be considered. A smaller absolute spread does not always mean cheaper trading, as commissions can outweigh the benefit of tight spreads.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this report utilised TradingView’s ‘Most active’ screener to identify the top 10 most active UK stocks, including high-volume leaders like Lloyds Banking Group, BP, and Rolls-Royce. Our sector analysis reveals that turnover and market capitalization are heavily concentrated in Financials and Energy, which together account for nearly 50% of the top 10’s combined valuation.
As established, the most liquid stocks typically offer the tightest bid-ask spreads. Our comparison across three leading UK brokers demonstrates how these spreads fluctuate in real time.