Yes, when you place a non‑leveraged BUY on a stock, you own that asset. eToro holds the real shares in your name, they’re protected in segregated/legal structures, and you receive any applicable rights (like dividends).
Terms like “fractional shares” and segregated omnibus accounts are mechanisms eToro uses to pool and hold real investments on behalf of many users.
When you buy stocks outright (non-leveraged), eToro purchases those shares through regulated custodians like APEX in the U.S.
In the UK and EU, the shares sit in a segregated omnibus account. This separates your assets from eToro’s own money.
Add leverage or sell short, and you’re no longer holding shares. You’re trading CFDs, contracts tracking the price. These don’t come with shareholder perks.
Owning a piece of a stock doesn’t mean it’s synthetic. eToro pools partial purchases, then allocates real shares based on your slice.
Your shares stay in segregated accounts. If eToro runs into trouble, your investments remain shielded.
In the U.S., APEX Clearing handles custody with SIPC protection. In Europe, local oversight comes from CySEC or the FCA.
You can’t shift shares to another broker. To exit, you’ll need to sell them on eToro and withdraw the cash.
Dividends are standard. Voting rights depend on where you live and which market rules apply.
Here’s a quick line that I suggest to keep it straight: if you’re adding leverage or going short, you’re dealing with a CFD. That means you’re trading a contract, not picking up actual shares.
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 61% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
This communication is intended for information and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or investment recommendation. Past performance is not an indication of future results.
Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.
Crypto investments are risky and highly volatile. Tax may apply. Understand the risks here https://etoro.tw/3PI44nZ.
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which hasbeen prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.
About Mike Druttman
