Markets

What is NAS100, and why is it an index rather than a stock?

Understand the Nasdaq-100, why NAS100 belongs under indices, and what to check when trading a broker’s Nasdaq-100 product.

Edited by:Yoshi Smart TradingUpdated:2 October 2026

Illustration showing NAS100 as an index basket rather than one stock

You find NAS100 in a broker’s instrument list and wonder whether it is a Nasdaq stock. NAS100 is a name brokers commonly use for a product linked to the Nasdaq-100; it is not a share in one company.

How is an index different from a stock?

A stock represents ownership in one specific company. The Nasdaq-100 tracks 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market by market capitalisation. Its constituents span multiple industries, so calling it simply a “technology index” is incomplete.

In Broker Quick Match, NAS100 belongs under Indices, not Stocks. That matters when filtering brokers by product category.

Is a broker’s NAS100 symbol the Nasdaq-100 index itself?

Not necessarily. Names such as NAS100, USTEC or a broker-specific suffix identify the broker’s tradable product. It is commonly a CFD or other derivative linked to the index; trading hours, contract terms and tick value are set by the broker. Trading it does not mean you own the 100 shares in the index basket.

Before trading, check:

the full product name and symbol;
contract size, tick size and tick value;
trading hours, rollover and holding charges;
spread, margin and leverage;
how volume and Stop Loss translate on the exact account.

For example, if NAS100 at Broker A has a different tick value from Broker B, the same 0.10 lot and Stop Loss distance can produce a different projected loss. Do not use one broker’s specification to calculate a trade at another.

Nasdaq publishes the index description and constituents at its Nasdaq-100 overview. To translate a symbol’s contract details into volume for a chosen risk amount, read What is position size?.

Next step

If NAS100 is one of your markets, choose Indices (NAS100, US500, GER40) in Compare Brokers and select up to two priorities. Then check the specification for the exact broker symbol before placing an order.