How to Buy Livestock on Trading 212: AIGL Explained

Published 3 August 2026

You can get exposure to a basket of livestock prices, the cattle and hogs behind the meat market, through a single investment. It trades on the stock market just like a share, so you can buy and sell it straight from your Trading 212 account. This guide shows exactly how to buy livestock on Trading 212, what sits inside the basket, and how to place your order.

Livestock prices move on feed costs, herd cycles and demand for meat, which makes them a very different market from grains or metals. A basket spreads your money across the main animals in one trade. If you would rather target one, we also cover how to do that using individual products on Trading 212.

Key Takeaways

• Livestock is bought through a futures-based commodity ETC, not physical animals or farming shares.
• The main option available on Trading 212 is WisdomTree Livestock (AIGL), which tracks the Bloomberg Livestock Subindex.
• The basket holds live cattle and lean hogs, the two main livestock futures.
• AIGL trades in US dollars with no GBP line, so a pound account pays the 0.15% currency fee on the buy and the sell.
• Livestock cannot be stored, so the futures roll reflects seasonal expectations rather than storage costs.

What You Are Actually Buying

Buying livestock on Trading 212 does not mean animals arriving at your door, and it does not mean buying shares in a meat producer either. Owning livestock is obviously impractical, and producer shares move on company results rather than the animal prices themselves.

Instead, you buy an Exchange-Traded Commodity (ETC) that tracks the price of a basket of livestock futures. Rather than holding anything physical, it uses futures contracts to follow the market, with collateral held to back the position. Livestock sits on the agricultural side of the market, and our guide on the agricultural markets covers that whole area.

What Is Inside the Basket?

WisdomTree Livestock (AIGL) tracks the Bloomberg Livestock Subindex, which holds the two main livestock futures: live cattle and lean hogs. Because the basket spreads across both, a move in one is partly offset by the other, which makes it a tidy way to add livestock exposure without betting on a single animal.

Building Your Own Basket

If you would rather set your own weights, you can combine the two individual ETCs. For beef, our live cattle guide covers the cattle market and feed-cost cycle. For pork, buying lean hogs walks through the more volatile hog market.

Things to Watch Out For (Fees, Currency and the Roll)

The exposure is futures-based, and livestock is unusual because the animals cannot be stored like metal or grain. That means the futures roll reflects seasonal supply and demand expectations rather than a storage cost, so the ETC can move differently from a simple spot price. This is normal for livestock futures.

On costs, WisdomTree Livestock is priced in US dollars and currently has no pound-denominated line, so a GBP account pays Trading 212’s 0.15% currency conversion fee on both the buy and the sell. The ongoing charge, shown as the expense ratio, is around 0.49% a year, and using a limit order helps you control your entry price.

The ETC Questionnaire

There is also one quick step to know about before your first purchase. Because ETCs are classed as complex products, Trading 212 may ask you to complete a short appropriateness questionnaire before you can buy one. Our guide to the Trading 212 ETC questionnaire explains exactly what it asks and how to complete it.

How to Buy Livestock on Trading 212: Step by Step

Step 1: The Search

Open the search, the magnifying glass icon, and type Livestock. Filter to the ETFs section to skip leveraged products and land on the standard tracker.

 

Step 2: Choosing Your Product

At the time of writing, the main option available on Trading 212 is WisdomTree Livestock (AIGL), which tracks the Bloomberg Livestock Subindex across live cattle and lean hogs. Check the name says “Livestock” rather than a single animal or an equity fund.

Note that it currently trades in US dollars, as there is no pound-denominated line at the time of writing. Fund availability can change, so it is worth checking Trading 212 for the latest options before you buy.

 

 

Step 3: Checking the Details

Click into the product and scroll to Instrument Details. Confirm the ongoing charge, shown as the expense ratio, is around 0.49%, and check the currency, which will read USD for AIGL. This is also where you can confirm it is the futures-based commodity ETC rather than an equity fund.

Step 4: Market vs Limit Orders

When you press buy you have a choice in the top right.

A market order buys instantly at the current price, which is convenient but can slip if the price moves while it processes.

 

 

A limit order lets you set the maximum you will pay and only fills if the price dips to your level.

 

 

Market and limit orders are just the starting point. Trading 212 also offers stop orders, stop-limit orders, and other tools that can help you buy at a specific price or protect against sudden drops. For a full breakdown of how each order type works and when to use them, see our guide on Trading 212 order types.

Conclusion

For most people, WisdomTree Livestock (AIGL) is the simplest way to hold the meat-market animals in one trade on Trading 212, spreading across live cattle and lean hogs. Bear in mind it is priced in dollars, so a pound account pays the currency fee, and the exposure is futures-based. If you have a view on one animal, a dedicated ETC may fit better. For the wider picture, see our guide on commodities.

FAQ

What Is in the Livestock Basket?

WisdomTree Livestock (AIGL) holds live cattle and lean hogs, the two futures in the Bloomberg Livestock Subindex.

Is It an ETF of Meat Producer Shares?

No. It is a commodity ETC that tracks livestock futures, not the shares of producers, so it moves with the animal prices rather than company earnings.

Does It Have a Currency Fee?

Yes, if your account is in a currency other than US dollars. Because AIGL is priced in US dollars, Trading 212’s 0.15% currency conversion fee applies each time you buy or sell, so a pound account pays it on both trades. The ongoing charge is around 0.49% a year.

Can I Hold Livestock in an ISA?

Yes. Livestock ETCs can be held in a Stocks and Shares ISA, which shelters any gains from tax.

Why Does It Behave Differently From Other Commodities?

Because livestock cannot be stored, the futures roll reflects seasonal supply and demand rather than a storage cost, so it can move differently from a simple spot price.