
CFD trading on the Nasdaq index
For many investors, it hardly needs any explanation that the Nasdaq is one of the most important and prominent indices worldwide. This interesting index, which focuses on technology companies, plays an important role in the American economy. It is therefore not surprising that it is traded a lot on a daily basis. Do you want to know everything about the Nasdaq and are you curious about how you can use a CFD on the Nasdaq index to try to make a return ? You can read all about it below.
What is the Nasdaq?
The Nasdaq – also called the Nasdaq 100 – is a stock market index based in America. This stock market index, operated by the National Association of Securities Dealers , focuses on the 100 largest technology companies. These are the (very) big names, such as Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon.
It is important to be aware of the differences between the Nasdaq on the one hand and the Dow Jones 30 and the S&P 500 on the other. Of course, there are many differences to think of. The two most important ones are listed below.
- The Nasdaq focuses purely on technology companies. The Dow Jones and the S&P 500, for example, also contain companies from the financial services sector.
- The Nasdaq does not focus solely on American companies. Contrary to what is sometimes thought, the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 are purely American.
Contrary to what the name “Nasdaq 100” suggests, the Nasdaq does not have just 100 companies. It currently consists of 103 companies.

Why trade the Nasdaq?
The Nasdaq is an interesting index to trade. The most modern way of trading is CFD trading . But what are the advantages of trading the Nasdaq CFD?
Going long and short
The biggest advantage of CFD trading in the Nasdaq is the fact that you can go both long and short . What does that mean? When you go long, you speculate on a price increase. This is the most commonly used way of trading and investing worldwide. However, there is a second variant; namely going short. When you go short, you speculate on a price decrease. The possibility of going short exists because with a CFD you do not actually take possession of the underlying asset .
The fact that you can go both long and short is very pleasant. You can respond to both price increases and price decreases. In this way, you can in fact take advantage of every movement in the price. The fact that this is possible brings with it many possibilities. For example, during a recession or a major decline, you do not have to wait for the price to rise again. You can also convert the decline into returns.
But when do you go long in the Nasdaq CFD and when do you go short? That depends on the circumstances. In general, the fact is that the Nasdaq is relatively stable and grows along with the American economy. If you want to experience this potential growth, you take out a long position. However, you do not have to wait until a trend occurs to take a long position. Due to the leverage effect of CFDs, you can also earn returns with very small increases.
Of course, this also works the other way around. For example, do you think a recession is imminent or have you lost your confidence in the Nasdaq? Then you can short the Nasdaq CFD. If the price actually falls, your position will be in the green. As mentioned, CFDs also offer the opportunity to make a profit with smaller price falls. For example, the Nasdaq CFD can show an upward trend on a daily chart, but you can still make a profit with a short position. Be careful, because if the price does the opposite of your bet, negative returns can also occur with small differences. You short by absorbing small fluctuations. After all, a price never rises in 1 straight line.
Even if you choose 1 investment product, there are different trading strategies possible. If you are prepared to take some extra risk to achieve results faster, you could consider scalping and day trading . Both strategies have a very active approach. You close and open many positions within a very short period of time, in order to capture all the small fluctuations in the price. A small warning is appropriate here. Many people lose their money by using very active trading strategies. Just as quickly as you can earn money, you can also lose it again. In that sense, the saying high risk, high reward applies very well here. If you choose day trading and/or scalping, delve into this thoroughly and in any case only invest with money that you can afford to lose.
The above is, by the way, the case with all investments.

Profiting from individual Nasdaq stocks
As mentioned, the Nasdaq consists of (approximately) 100 different stocks . Why is this an advantage? When you trade in the Nasdaq, you are, as it were, taking a position in all these companies. You do not have to decide which individual positions you will or will not open. You simply profit from the overall, composite price development.
The fact that you have a whole bag of companies in your portfolio with 1 trade in the Nasdaq has a very big advantage. This advantage should be sought in the corner of sensible investing. The smart investor will always spread his or her risks. When you open a Nasdaq position, you have spread your capital over 100 different companies in one go. If things go a bit worse for a company from the Nasdaq, the other companies will – in most cases – be able to absorb this. This diversification can work very much to your advantage.
The above does deserve a small comment. By trading in the Nasdaq you spread your assets over 100 shares, but these shares are within 1 and the same sector; namely the technology sector. If you want optimal spreading, it is advisable to also spread over sectors. Nevertheless, the Nasdaq 100 is a good start in itself, because there is some spreading between regions and types of technology companies.
The Nasdaq and the shares in it are traded very heavily. This means that trading in this index is accompanied by high liquidity . This liquidity ensures an actively moving price. As a CFD trader, you can – as mentioned – try to play on this.
The correlation between Nasdaq and other indices
Do you have other indices than Nasdaq in your portfolio and are you considering trading in Nasdaq? Then know that Nasdaq can react the same as other indices. Such well-known indices often represent more than just the underlying companies. They closely follow economic developments in world news. It is even sometimes said that indices generally lead economic developments.
Although the Nasdaq can be a good addition to other indices, it is relevant to mention that companies within indices can overlap. For example, both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 contain the company Apple. From a risk diversification perspective, it is questionable whether this is desirable. After all, you think you are spreading your risks when you buy multiple indices, but this does not always have to be the case.
Nasdaq CFD Trading Conditions
- No minimum gap between stop loss and take profit price heights
- Attractive margins
- The ability to go both short and long
Nasdaq CFD’s versus futures
There are various constructions that make it possible to trade in the Nasdaq. The CFD was already briefly discussed. Another possibility is trading using futures . Futures offer – just like CFDs – the possibility to go both long and short. Keep in mind that a future is a forward contract. You cannot therefore hold positions in futures indefinitely.
What is better, CFD trading or trading using futures? If you compare both constructions, you will most likely conclude that CFDs offer more flexibility. For example, you are not bound to an end date and in many cases the costs will be lower. In addition, futures often require that you have quite a lot of capital in your account.
The CFD seems to be a better option for people who do not have a very large trading account. Many brokers offer the possibility to trade in CFDs without commission. The costs that are charged are settled by means of the spread . You will therefore not notice much of this. From the perspective of the cost picture, it is relevant to compare (CFD) brokers. One broker is just a little more expensive than the other: take advantage of this.
The Nasdaq is relatively popular. It is not only futures and CFD contracts that are based on the index. Investment products such as options and ETFs are also often based on the Nasdaq. Options are listed leveraged products.
Nasdaq (CFD) trading strategies
If you do not want to invest completely passively, but for example do not have enough time to sit behind the charts all day long? Then swing trading may be a suitable strategy for you. With swing trading you look more at more general trends within the price development of the Nasdaq. For example, you use candle charts with a time period per candle of one day or even one week. Based on technical and fundamental analysis you then determine a good entry to profit from a trend (swing). How actively you approach swing trading is in your own hands.
Regardless of the way you trade, it is advisable to have a concrete trading plan. Preferably, you have this somewhere on paper or in a digital document. A good trader always knows how to stick to his or her trading strategy. After all, this provides a rational view of the markets and it keeps emotions at bay to a large extent.
Nasdaq adjusted opening hours
If you intend to trade in the Nasdaq, you should take into account the trading hours that are used. Here, traders with a very active strategy must pay stricter attention to the trading hours than traders with a less active strategy. Someone with an active strategy will, after all, attach great value to a nearly perfect entry or exit.
The regular opening hours converted to Dutch time are from 14:30 to 21:00. However, it often happens that the trading hours differ, for example due to (national) holidays. The holidays that apply are based on the holidays in the United States. Below you will find a large selection of days on which the Nasdaq is closed – completely or not.
- January 1 (completely closed): New Year’s Day
- January 18 (completely closed): Martin Luther King Day
- February 15 (completely closed): Washington’s Birthday
- April 2 (completely closed): Good Friday
- May 31 (completely closed): Memorial Day
- July 5 (completely closed): Independence Day
- September 6 (completely closed): Labor Day
- November 25 (completely closed): Thanksgiving Day
- November 26 (closed from 7pm Dutch time): Thanksgiving Day
- December 24 (completely closed): Christmas days
It is highly recommended to check in advance which dates are coming up. This way you are not suddenly – at the last moment – confronted with a closed stock exchange. This can be very annoying, for example, if you intended to open or close a certain position. In addition, there are many traders who prefer not to hold their positions when the Nasdaq is closed for a day. After all, many things can happen within a day that you cannot anticipate. This also applies to weekends.
Start investing
Do you want to start investing in, for example, the Nasdaq? Then you need an account with a broker. Brokers often differ greatly from each other. See which brokers suit you as an investor. Compare brokers using the comparator of Compare All Brokers.
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