First Trade Made in Nasdaq Custom Basket Futures

The first trade in Nasdaq custom basket futures has been made by University of Cambridge Investment Management (UCIM) with a notional value of €80 million according to a story in The Trade news. Nasdaq custom basket futures allow investors to create a custom-made equity basket, specified by return type, currency, and chosen from a pool of equities. The offering was first launched with custom basket forwards before being expanded to include futures in March 2025. Notably, it enables clients to use standardised contracts traded on a regulated market with central counterparty clearing, as opposed to relying on over-the-counter equity swaps. In the case of UCIM, Nasdaq custom basket futures were used to exclude conventional energy as the fund sought to uphold its sustainable investment strategy.