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    Custom Basket Futures & Forwards

    Global Equity Exposure Made Simple

    Providing investors with tailored exposure to global equities as well as security of multilateral trading and central counterparty clearing on Nasdaq Nordic.
     

    News

    2,000 New U.S. Stocks Added to Custom Basket Futures

    We're excited to announce the expansion of our offering with the addition of 2,000 US stocks to the stock universe, providing clients with even more flexibility in shaping their trading strategies. More than 4,000 European and U.S. stocks are now available for investors to customize their equity baskets.

    This expansion is a direct result of the foundational year we established for Custom Basket Futures in 2025, with the launch of the futures in Q1, the onboarding of the first client in Q2 and a second one in Q4 - resulting in over 7,8 million contracts traded across 4 custom baskets.

    Download full stock universe

    NEXT-GENERATION DERIVATIVES

    Combine customization with the benefits of CCP clearing and trading on a regulated market

     

    Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures and Forwards are innovative derivative products addressing the rising demand for a simpler and more efficient way of handling tailored equity exposures.

    For firms struggling with the increasing challenges associated with OTC equity swaps, Nasdaq Custom Basket derivatives offer a cost-efficient alternative, combining bespoke elements with the benefits of central counterparty clearing and trading on a regulated market. 

    Download factsheet

     

    Technology
    Nasdaq Custom Basket Derivatives

    A listed alternative to equity swaps

    Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures and Forwards enable investors to create a cash-settled futures or forward contract on a customized equity basket selected from a broad stock universe. 

    Access key resources:

    Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Factsheet -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Sales Presentation -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards FAQs -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Service Description -> Custom Baskets Calculation Methodology -> Custom Baskets Stock Universe ->

    Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures and Forwards enable investors to create a cash-settled futures or forward contract on a customized equity basket selected from a broad stock universe. 

    Access key resources:

    Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Factsheet -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Sales Presentation -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards FAQs -> Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Service Description -> Custom Baskets Calculation Methodology -> Custom Baskets Stock Universe ->

    Key Benefits

    Flexible, cost efficient and secure

    Benefit from CCP clearing and trading on a regulated market. Combine the bespoke elements of uncleared derivatives with capital and cost efficiencies.

    A customized tool for ESG

    Create ESG and climate investment themes or track a benchmark and apply your own screening criteria.

    No need for ISDA agreement

    Reduce bilateral risk and dependency in liquidity provision without need of ISDA agreement.

    Global equity exposure made simple

    Gain access to tailored equity exposures globally with a standardized contract.

    Customized equity exposure in a single transaction

    Transact customized equity baskets with custom features such as currency, return type, composition and weights in a single contract.

    Instrument for custom basket users for short exposures

    Easily create long or short exposures by respectively buying or selling the futures or forward contracts.

    A more simple and efficient way to handle global equity exposure

    One position. One contract. One transaction.

    How Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures & Forwards Work

    Define your equity basket by currency and return type such as gross, net and price.

    Select your composition by defining the individual stocks and weights from a broad global stock universe.

    A cash-settled futures or forward contract is issued in Nasdaq's trading and clearing systems.

    You're now able to transact the custom basket in a single instrument in one transaction.

    Features available to customize your equity basket

     

    ✓ Basket composition
    More than 4 200 stocks available

    ✓ Basket base currency
    SEK / DKK / NOK / USD / EUR / GBP

    ✓ Return type
    Price / Gross / Net

    ✓ Public and private baskets

    ✓ Standard basket calculation methodology and Corporate Action treatment

    ✓ Exchange traded and CCP cleared contract

    ✓ Futures or forward with cash settlement and quarterly expiration

     

    ✓ Basket composition
    More than 4 200 stocks available

    ✓ Basket base currency
    SEK / DKK / NOK / USD / EUR / GBP

    ✓ Return type
    Price / Gross / Net

    ✓ Public and private baskets

    ✓ Standard basket calculation methodology and Corporate Action treatment

    ✓ Exchange traded and CCP cleared contract

    ✓ Futures or forward with cash settlement and quarterly expiration

    The move beyond traditional benchmarks

    Why Custom Basket Futures are gaining momentum

    Traditional equity benchmarks remain efficient, but they no longer align with how modern portfolios are constructed. Cap‑weighted indices increasingly embed unintended concentration, regional bias, and style drift, forcing asset managers to manage outcomes after taking exposure.

    Custom baskets - often powered by QIS - reverse this logic. They allow managers to design exposure first, then implement it efficiently. Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures bring this design flexibility into a listed, liquid, and capital‑efficient futures format, enabling scalable implementation without structural complexity.

    Traditional equity benchmarks remain efficient, but they no longer align with how modern portfolios are constructed. Cap‑weighted indices increasingly embed unintended concentration, regional bias, and style drift, forcing asset managers to manage outcomes after taking exposure.

    Custom baskets - often powered by QIS - reverse this logic. They allow managers to design exposure first, then implement it efficiently. Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures bring this design flexibility into a listed, liquid, and capital‑efficient futures format, enabling scalable implementation without structural complexity.

    Use Cases

    How Asset Managers Use CBFs

    Custom Basket Futures allow asset managers to move from tracking indices to engineering exposure. Combined with QIS discipline and futures efficiency, they enable more precise, scalable, and intention‑driven portfolio construction.

    Benchmark optimization

    Custom basket to neutralize index concentration (e.g. large‑cap tech dominance)

    Thematic allocation

    QIS‑driven baskets targeting themes like AI, energy transition, or defense

    Portfolio overlays

    Futures overlay to adjust exposures without trading underlying holdings

    Transition management

    Maintain market exposure while reallocating capital internally

    How to get started

    Approach your equity derivatives broker to request a basket or contact Nasdaq.

    Get in touch ->

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Custom Basket Futures and Forwards allow investors to create a cash-settled futures or forward contract on a customized equity basket, combining tailored and bespoke elements with the benefits of CCP clearing and trading on a regulated market.

    Custom Basket Futures and Forwards are for investors seeking tailored and cost-efficient equity exposures without bilateral risk, dependency in liquidity provision and entering/maintaining ISDA agreements. Nasdaq has developed Custom Basket Futures and Forwards to address an increasing demand for a simpler and more efficient way to handle equity exposures with standardized contracts on a regulated market.

    For buy-side:

    For firms who are finding equity swaps increasingly difficult due to the pressure of regulations and changes in the industry, Custom Basket Futures and Forwards offer a simple and cost-effective alternative, that gives them tailored equity exposure to a broad universe of stocks in a single contract, with the benefit of CCP clearing and trading on a regulated market. 

    For sell-side:

    For banks who are looking for new ways to reach buy-side clients locked in ISDA agreements with other banks, clients who don’t want to trade swaps/bilateral, or clients who want more cost-efficient ways to create tailored equity exposure, Custom Basket Futures and Forwards offer a simpler and more efficient way to handle equity exposures with standardized contracts on a regulated market.     

    Exchange and Clearing members of Nasdaq Stockholm AB can submit basket requests following the signing of a license agreement and subject to the Exchange Rules and Clearing Rules of Nasdaq Derivatives Markets.

    The following elements can be customized:

    • Basket currency
    • Return type
    • Basket composition
    • Basket weights

    The referenced derivatives are traded and cleared in the same currency as the defined base currency of the basket.



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    What Market Participants Say

    Case Study

    University of Cambridge Investment Management Completes Industry-First Trade in Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures

    University of Cambridge Investment Management became the first to trade Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures with a notional value of €80 million.

    Hear from Sarah Wood, Associate Director of Marketable Assets at UCIM as she shares how they decided to exclude conventional energy, supporting a core part of UCIM’s sustainable investment strategy.


    Read case study

     

    #TradeTalks

    Transform the way you manage your equity investments

    Watch this short interview where Alessandro Romani, VP, Head of European Equity Derivatives at Nasdaq, talks about the benefits and use cases for Nasdaq Custom Basket Forwards.

    Get in touch with our team

    Let's get started

    Send your inquiries here

    Contact us to learn more about Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures and Forwards.

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