Indices in forex: US30, NAS100 and more explained

Common index symbols at forex brokers

What is US30?

US30 is the broker name for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index of 30 large US companies. Trading US30 means speculating on the index level, not owning the shares. Because the Dow trades around tens of thousands of points, it moves hundreds of points on busy days, which is why it is popular with day traders and also why it can wipe out small accounts quickly.

What is NAS100?

NAS100 tracks the Nasdaq-100, dominated by big tech. It is more volatile than US500 and reacts sharply to interest-rate news and earnings from NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft and others.

How index CFDs work

• Contract size: commonly $1 per point per lot on US30/NAS100/US500, but some brokers use $10 or other sizes. Read the specification.
• Leverage: FSCA-regulated brokers may offer high leverage on indices; margin is calculated on the full position value.
• Overnight funding (swap) is charged for positions held past the daily rollover.
• Dividends are adjusted on index CFDs when constituents go ex-dividend.

Best times to trade indices from South Africa

US indices: the cash open at 15:30 SAST (16:30 in the US winter) and the first two hours after. European indices: the 09:00/10:00 SAST open. The economic calendar shows the data that will move them.