Edelweiss Review – Brokerage Charges, Margin, Demat Account, Brokerage Plans for Investors, and More

About Edelweiss

Edelweiss is a full-service brokerage that offers top-notch investment advice backed by validated research and analysis to its customers, irrespective of their asset classes or trading styles. In this post, we review the intricate features and offerings of Edelweiss.

They also provide means to apply their advice with their world-class trading applications which are available for use across multiple platforms. With almost 25 years in the industry, they’re one of the leading diversified financial services conglomerates.

Nonetheless, with a plethora of brokerages in the market, all of which have significant experience and also offer well-researched advice (Motilal Oswal, IIFL and the like), it can be challenging to decide which brokerage is best suited for your needs.

Not to worry though, in this post I go over Edelweiss’ platforms, plans and the margins in-depth, to help you decide if Edelweiss is the right brokerage for you and weigh out the pros and cons.

By the end, I hope to impart the reader with a good overview of Edelweiss’ offerings and where they stand, what they do right and what could be better.

To understand the effectiveness of the platforms, let us go to the company’s offerings and their features in detail:

Edelweiss Trading Platforms

Edelweiss furnishes the needs of traders – both novices and veterans alike. Their services are systematically catered to two platforms (Desktop and Mobile) in the form of three free-to-use implementations:

Website (and Xpress)

The site makes for a sleek online trading platform, incorporating just the key features that a traditional terminal software would include and not all of them. However, it is workable for those looking to trade and invest quickly on the computer that is nearest to them.

The landing page is straightforward and intends to inform and educate visitors as to what they can do with their money. You can find all kinds of advice right on the landing page, from achieving financial targets to investing in sustainable earnings.

It also offers portfolio tracking, news, charting and instant fund transfer services, which keeps you in the loop by supplying you with the latest information right as it comes out.

The quick trading toolbar does precisely what it is intended to by giving customers an interface to make brisk trades with ease.

It keeps a record of all the recent activities like stocks viewed, pages surfed, and keeps track of the taking position, stocks or contracts.

When accessed from mobile, light and minimal version of the website is loaded, using which customers can place trades and monitor stock positions in real-time, without having to install an app.          

Xpress is a counterpart of the website, created to emulate a terminal. However, you do not need to install any software as Xpress is entirely internet-based.

You can create a market watch window to monitor stock prices live, place orders and also add scrips to be tracked.

Additionally, you can view limits, holdings, transfer funds and change parameters to be tracked in Xpress. All in all, the website is best suited for the more casual users, since the limited features might not satisfy the typical advanced user.

Desktop Application (Terminal X3)

The app is stable but features a traditional interface, which is by no means modernized. However, it makes up for crudeness with features like the ability to back-test your strategies.

The desktop application is apt for advanced users since it features 60+ advanced technical indicators and drawing tools, and six chart types. It allows users to have multiple charts on the screen and enables them to place orders directly from the charts.

It supplies the user with analytical markets data, including:

• Sector performance
• Equity statistics
• Futures statistics
• Options statistics
• Seasonality Analysis
• Trends in FII & DII flows
• Advance/Decline Ratio

Terminal X3 incorporates polished decision-making tools and imparts the user with an Options Calculator with ‘What-if analysis’. It also includes an advanced stock quote page – giving you every detail of a specific stock in just a few clicks.

Furthermore, users can utilize the live portfolio, research calls and download the reports. The ‘Price Alert’ feature keeps your workspace uncluttered and keeps you informed of any advancements.

Mobile Application (Mobile Trader)

Mobile Trader is one of the best-rated finance apps, available on both Android and iOS app stores. It is multifaceted – not only can you trade with ease on the move, but it also supplements as a ‘market news and trends’ app.

Users may trade in Equity, derivatives, or currency, with the guidance of the interactive charts that are updated in real-time.

The app does a great job of keeping you up to date and has a sentiment analysis section. Therefore, it helps one understand how the market is responding to a decision.

There is no separate app for Mutual Funds or Bonds, and investments can be made right from the app. Money can be transferred in a few taps with the Instant Fund Transfer section.

Users can check available limits and total margins applicable to their accounts. Order book reports, trade book reports and net position can be studied at any time. The users’ orders and corporate actions are kept track of.

The low bandwidth consumption and fewer space requirements are small but essential side benefits reducing the workload on your device.

Every implementation has all these advanced features:

• Investment recommendations for over 250 stocks.
• 200+ in-depth reports a year across 16 sectors.
• Market overview – News and Announcements, Sector-wise performance, Live OI build-up and Put Call Ratio analysis all in one app.
• Advanced Charting makes it easy to track trends.
• Consolidated view of your investments with a customizable watchlist on every platform.

As with everything, the implementations have some drawbacks too:

• The traditional, flat interface.
• All the features make for a relatively resource hungry software
• Windows only desktop application. (2018)
• For equity markets only (as of 2018), no MCX market.

However, most users can overlook these drawbacks. Edelweiss provides one of the most polished tools for traders in the market.

Knowing their charges and the value they offer will help you make you decide if the company’s plans are curated well enough to fit your restraints.

Analysing Edelweiss Plans and Charges:

Edelweiss offers two distinct categories of plans, curated for different kinds of customers. The first category for investors comprises of two plans, whereas the second category for traders has four. The plans are tailored to meet the needs of customers with different levels of sagacity.

Account Opening Charges & Annual Charges

Edelweiss provides a free Demat account, Trading account, and Commodity account service.

Edelweiss Brokerage Charges

Brokerage Plans for Investors & Trader:

The value these plans offer is by no means surprising. However, it is reasonable for the service they provide. Keep in mind that the brokerage, as mentioned in the plans, is subject to a minimum brokerage of 3 paise per share in delivery trade and one paisa per share on Intraday and Futures Trades.

In addition to these charges, all other statutory and regulatory fees like Securities Transaction Tax, SEBI Turnover Fees, Exchange Transaction charges, Service Tax and any additional charges levied by the authorities are charged separately.

The Futures include Stock Futures and Index Futures, and the Options include Stock Options and Index Options.

Further, the futures, options and Intraday rates are charged on each leg of the transaction. The subscription fees mentioned are exclusive of taxes.

Edelweiss is a registered member of NSE and BSE and provides clients with in-depth analysis reports on companies, sectors, the market, and the economy. In addition to this, clients have full access to research on mid-cap companies and all kinds of asset classes – be it equity derivatives or currencies and commodities. 

All this is provided daily using seven different updates, videos, and newsletters. Therefore, these insights help clients pick the right product for them to invest in, be it a stock or a mutual fund.

The company has much to offer when it comes to narrowing down your investing needs, and use these details to acquire more profits.

They recommend strategies for long, medium and short term investments, which can be analyzed from 14 different viewpoints. Furthermore, the amount of insight you receive and the profits you generate are conjoint to the type of account you have. Edelweiss offers three types of accounts:

Edelweiss Accounts

• Standard Account:

It is for the casual traders and therefore is structured to be a “pay-as-you-go” model. To clarify, it means that the brokerage is charged as a small cut of the transaction amount. There is no need for a pre-paying or a deposit, and there are no limitations as such.

Standard account holders are offered the same services as the others.

• Prepaid Account (also called Advanced Subscription Plan):

This type of account is designed for frequent traders, who are looking for a slightly lower brokerage, more personalized tips, insights and advisory and high exposure.

• Online Account (also called the Discount Brokerage Plan):

It is an ideal choice for the experienced trader, who is not bound to a single broker. Advanced users holding this account are offered exceptional tools for trading along with ultra-low brokerage charges.

These charges are typically fixed at 0.01% for trading in Equity Delivery and Intraday, and a flat Rs.5 fee per lot for trading in Options.

Edelweiss Margin / Exposure:

With all the facts finally laid out, weighing out the pros and cons will help you make an informed decision

Edelweiss Pros And Cons

Pros:

• One of the best market research and analysis provisions in the brokerage industry of India, featuring both fundamental and technical calls.
• Dedicated Relationship Managers and dealers.
• Leverage facilities across CDS segments, cash, futures and options.
• Excellent applications on all platforms, easy to learn interface, a rich offering of features and advanced tools.
• Free call and trade availability for all clients.
• A diverse financial product portfolio.
• No hidden fees.
• Broad offline presence via branches and franchises makes for better accessibility by new customers. Polished online trading tools make it easy for online investors and experienced traders.

Cons:

• No 3-in-1 account (saving + trading + Demat), since Edelweiss doesn’t have a banking license. This limitation makes it difficult to wield funds.
• Brokerage is charged at a per lot basis and is not volume-based.
• This implies that the charges can be substantial in case of bigger orders.

The best brokerages provide a balanced mix of offline-online presence, professional advisory, customer support, training sessions, a margin funding facility and also a variety of trading products.

Every user needs different volumes of each such feature depending on their experience, financial status, and fundamental knowledge.

Edelweiss proves to be one of the best brokerages that have stood the test of time.

Their value increased upwards of Rupees One thousand crores in the span of two decades, and they cater to over 1.2 million clients who operate across various niches. This only further proves their credibility among customers.

I hope this detailed review has covered every facet of the company’s performance and will serve as a guide to pick the best for you.