We caught up with Greg Ferrari, Vice President and Head of U.S. Options for Nasdaq, to chat about the initiative and what it means for the options markets and the investing public.

Why did Nasdaq create Nasdaq-100® Micro Index Options?

We saw a significant need in the market for an options product that provided exposure to the Nasdaq-100, but that was more accessible to individual investors that want to invest on a smaller, more bite-sized scale. The Nasdaq-100 really captures innovation, and this was something the index options market didn’t have in the kind of size that individual investors are looking for. The 1/100th full value of the N-100 means that this is a more affordable play, offering risk management through its scale and upside through exposure to some of the world’s most innovative companies.

Does this align with larger trends in the options market?

Since 2019, we’ve seen unprecedented interest on the part...

As the world of business evolves, the process of recruiting needs to keep pace. Meet the innovative team that’s revolutionizing hiring. 

On this Mission Driven we talk with Greenhouse co-founders Daniel Chait and Jon Stross, Director of DE&I Jamie Adasi and VP of Professional Services Kristina Nieves about how they’re helping companies make smarter hiring decisions.

One of their secrets? Diversity, equity, and inclusion. A purpose driven company that understands how inclusive and fair hiring strengthens not just the employees, but the company as a whole.

In this episode, Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Engagement at Nasdaq, is joined by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Board Chair & President of the National Council of Negro Women and Dean of the Herndon Directors Institute. Dr. Cole discusses the work she’s doing to advance board diversity, the importance of education, and advice for young women pursuing a path to leadership. Find out why she believes giving your all is key to driving excellence.

Today’s Big Picture

Major equity indices in Asia closed mixed on the day, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropping 0.5%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and South Korea’s Kospi closing fractionally lower, China’s Shanghai Composite ended the day marginally higher, and the Shenzhen Component added 0.3%. By midday trading, all the major equity indices in Europe were in the red, and U.S. equity futures were fairly flat as earnings season kicks into high gear today with a number of big tech companies reporting.

One of the developing trends that we’re watching is that companies like Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), Procter & Gamble (PG), and Whirlpool (WHR) are announcing price hikes in response to rising material costs. Those announcements follow record high index price levels contained in the April manufacturing reports from the New York, Kansas City, and Dallas Federal Reserve banks. We suspect these developments will force...

As National Volunteer Week comes to a close, I am reminded of the importance of volunteerism – not just this week, but every week.

Each of us at Nasdaq strives to embody our purpose – championing inclusive growth and prosperity – by contributing, in small and large ways, to building a more sustainable world. This year, we took our commitment a step further, officially participating in National Volunteer Week for the first time, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished.

While there is no question that in-person volunteering can be challenging amid a global pandemic, virtual and remote volunteering is possible and thriving – as Nasdaq colleagues proved this week. Through Nasdaq GoodWorks, our global volunteerism program, employees from around the globe supported local communities through a number of opportunities, including teaching financial literacy to kids, mentoring small business owners and coaching students who are under-represented in the financial services...

You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

TotalMarkets podcast features Nasdaq Chief Economist Phil Mackintosh interviewing some of the leading voices on topics essential to financial markets. Every month you will hear directly from Phil as he takes a deeper look at all things affecting market structure. You will hear from analysts, academics, brokers, investment advisors regulators, traders, and more to make you better educated on the issues, policies and proposals to make a path to better markets for tomorrow.

The digital age has prompted significant economic changes in the ways that people interact and do business in society.  While our current financial infrastructure has made advancements in response to this evolution, the architecture of legacy financial systems still depends heavily on third-party intermediation as opposed to digitally trustless interactions.  Accordingly, these kinds of systems are not optimally designed to facilitate transactions in a digital world.

The emergence of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), which utilizes cryptography and decentralized computing resources to maintain a secure record of account and transaction history, has driven the invention of trusted, digitally efficient record keeping networks.  

These networks are notable because they utilize digitally native units of account, known as “cryptocurrencies” or “digital assets,” to enable seamless virtual transactions. Such developments are promising because they...

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Stay one step ahead with the Smart Investing newsletter. Whether you’re just starting out or want to sharpen your investing know-how, we have you covered. Every Monday morning, you will receive expert insights about the companies and players shaping the markets, giving you what you need to know to make smarter investing decisions.

When you think about how to manage your investments, there are a few things you need to keep in mind as investors have different needs based on age and individual situation. Some may rely on their investments for income. Others may simply want their savings to grow over time. Some may want or need exposure to a specific industry or sector that offers to help grow their asset base.

 Regardless of your age or circumstance, there are some rules of thumb to consider when designing your investment strategy:

Today’s Big Picture

Equity indices in Asia started the last week of April off mixed as the Covid situation in India continues to spiral out of control. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.4%, South Korea’s Kospi added 1.0%, while China’s Shanghai Composite fell 1.0% and the Shenzhen Component lost 0.9%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.4%. By mid-day trading, European equity indices were mostly lower and U.S. futures point to a mixed market open later this morning.

Investors have a jam-packed end of April ahead of them as the number of companies reporting quarterly results balloons to over 800, a full plate of economic data will be served up, and the Federal Reserve holds its latest monetary policy meeting. Given recent data that point to an uptick in inflationary pressures, investors will be looking for any signs the central bank may be contemplating a change in its monetary policy sooner than expected.

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