NASDAQ

Apple, Microsoft, Tesla – if you want to get your hands on the grandest of the blue-chip stocks, you will find them at NASDAQ brokers. The New York-based National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations is second only to the New York Stock Exchange in market capitalisation of shares traded, but it is the first name on many traders’ lips if you ask where to find the world’s most innovative market leaders.

There is no shortage of online brokers offering UK traders access to this front-running exchange, but there are a few things investors need to know before they dive in, and this guide is where to find them. We also list the best brokers with NASDAQ and NAS100 in 2025.

Choosing Brokers With NASDAQ Trading

Instruments & Vehicles

With so much choice available for UK investors looking for NASDAQ exposure, how do you go about choosing a brokerage?

The answer, as ever, depends on the style and purpose of the investments. Someone looking for long-term, stable growth would do well to open an ISA and try to maximise their yearly allowance. This form of passive investment is quick to get started, easy to get to grips with, and in the long run often outperforms more hands-on investment styles despite requiring low effort. Moreover, traders can mix a NASDAQ ETF with funds that deal with other exchanges, commodities and sectors to build a diverse portfolio.

Long-term investors who prefer to directly pick their stocks may prefer one of the ISAs that offers individual NASDAQ shares or a share dealing platform such as eToro or IG. These provide a quick and easy way to invest in NASDAQ-listed companies, and their platforms are used by millions of investors daily.

Finally, day traders and others looking to make profit through shorter-term stock trades will often have different criteria when looking for a broker with NASDAQ. Derivatives such as CFDs will be more important for this group of traders, who will look to maximise their returns through leveraged trades and will also usually want the flexibility to take a short position.

In the UK, the leverage available on CFDs across individual stocks is usually capped at 1:5, but that leverage can increase to 1:20 on CFDs on the NASDAQ-100 index ETF.

Bear in mind that the stock price of some Nasdaq companies can be hundreds of dollars per share, so it could be useful to go for a trading firm like Interactive Brokers that offers fractional shares.

Fees & Features

When you know what kind of trades you want to make, choosing the right broker largely comes down to comparing each provider’s costs and features and making a final decision.

The fees charged by Nasdaq brokers play an important role in determining the potential a trader has to earn a profit. Many Nasdaq brokers offer commission-free trading, but that doesn’t mean you will not be paying for your trades. Make sure you check the broker’s spread, and look out for any additional fees that may be levied for account maintenance, account inactivity, withdrawals and so on.

If your funds are limited, you may be on the lookout for a NASDAQ broker with a low minimum deposit. Additionally, investors may be charged a markup on the spread when making a trade, and since the NASDAQ is a US-based exchange, you may need to pay a transaction fee to buy an asset with GBP or to convert your cash to USD before the trade.

The features available from different brokers with NASDAQ can also be a big selling point. Brokerages which offer a demo account are useful for rookie traders to learn the ropes, and some offer technical analysis tools that can be helpful when you are preparing to open a position.

While some shorter-term traders may be satisfied with web browser-based platforms such as eToro, many will be looking for the added depth and flexibility of a broker that is compatible with the powerful MT4 or MT5 trading platforms.

Trading the NASDAQ on RoboForex

At the same time, traders and investors alike will often look for online brokers who offer a diverse range of products so they can practice hedging. For example, if someone is putting a large chunk of cash into a long position on the NASDAQ / NAS100, they may look for a broker that also allows them to trade a volatility index, since a long position on the VIX will usually work as a hedge in case the NASDAQ falls.

Regulation

Finding a secure and reliable NASDAQ broker shouldn’t be difficult in almost any location, thanks to the exchange’s worldwide reach and popularity. Look for NASDAQ brokers that are overseen by a trusted regulator such as FINRA or the UK’s FCA. Also ensure that the broker implements up-to-date security measures to store data safely and protect users’ accounts.

Other Considerations

Other elements to consider include access to other assets like forex, any welcome bonuses, plus minimum position sizes – do they start at 0.01 lots, for example? In addition, it’s worth looking for providers that provide insights into company earnings, the meaning behind the latest stock market drops, options chains, OTC products, the biggest gainers and more. Some investors are also interested in trading during premarket hours to generate real-time profits.

Finally, does the brand offer good customer support, stock screeners, integration with TradingView, live signals, competitive price quotes, or leveraged trading without interest?

It pays to research the available brokers with NASDAQ today before you commit to one. Making a top 10 or top 5 list of brokers with NASDAQ will help you compare the pros and cons of each, meaning it is easier to choose the ideal provider. Alternatively, use our list of the best NASDAQ brokers in 2025 to get started.

NASDAQ Headlines

• The NASDAQ is the world’s second-largest exchange and the home of leading tech giants
• UK investors can gain exposure to the NASDAQ through a variety of trading products
• Many brokers allow investors to trade individual stocks in NASDAQ-listed companies
• Investors can also put money in an index tracker fund that mirrors the NASDAQ’s performance
• Dividend payments from a NASDAQ position may be subject to US taxes
• Investors should also be aware of additional costs that may be involved with trading the NASDAQ, such as currency exchange fees

What Is The Nasdaq?

Founded in 1971 as the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, the Nasdaq was initially a quotations system that eventually developed into an automated exchange – the world’s first electronic stock market. Over the years, many securities that had been traded over-the-counter moved to the NASDAQ, and the exchange was widely known as ‘OTC’ until the 1980s.

Today, the NASDAQ is one of the leading stock exchanges in the world, with a roster of blue-chip companies including giants like Microsoft (MSFT), Intel (INTL), Amazon (AMZN) and NVIDIA Corp and a total market cap in February 2023 above $21 trillion.

As the above examples show, the NASDAQ is known for its large proportion of tech stocks. However, there are many other companies on the NASDAQ lists from diverse sectors, including Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), gene therapy company Uniqure (QURE), oil and natural gas producer W&T Offshore (WTI), hotel operator Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and electronic car manufacturer Tesla (TSLA).

The Nasdaq headquarters are located in Manhattan, New York.

Stock Market Tiers

The Nasdaq’s three main market tiers are:

• Capital Market (NASDAQ-CM small cap) – contains stocks of companies with smaller market capitalisations and has less strict entry requirements than the larger market cap tiers. Promising NASDAQ penny stocks may be found at this tier.
• Global Market (NASDAQ-GM) mid cap – comprises 1,450 stocks representing the NASDAQ’s global market, with companies having to meet the same criteria as the Global Select Market.
• Global Select Market (NASDAQ-GS) high cap – the most exclusive tier, with 1,200 stocks with high market caps of companies that meet the exchange’s stringent listing requirements.

Indexes

Many traders prefer to trade on NASDAQ indexes, rather than buying specific stocks. This allows traders to speculate on the performance of select parts of the exchange, or on the NASDAQ as a whole. There are several indexes widely available from online NASDAQ brokers:

• The NASDAQ Composite Index – this is the most commonly traded index and is often known simply as ‘the NASDAQ’. Including 2,500 different stocks, it gives a comprehensive view of the NASDAQ’s performance as a whole.
• NASDAQ 100 (NDX) – 100 of the biggest companies trading on the NASDAQ are included on this index, making it an extremely popular index with some 7,000 products linked.
• NASDAQ Global Equity Index – this index tracks the NASDAQ’s global equities, covering around 98% of listed stocks.
• NASDAQ Sector Indexes – traders who want exposure to a specific sector can choose from various NASDAQ sector indexes, including the NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector index, the NASDAQ-100 Ex-Tech Index, the NASDAQ Transportation Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index.

5 Top Companies On The NASDAQ Composite

The top five companies on the Nasdaq by market capitalisation as of February 2023, as well as their weightings on the index, are:

• Microsoft (MSFT) – 12.232
• Apple (AAPL) – 12.047
• Amazon (AMZN) – 6.246
• NVIDIA (NVDA) – 4.455
• Tesla (TSLA) – 4.092

Board Of Directors

The NASDAQ board of directors is headed by Chair and CEO Adena T. Friedman. Together, the board has amassed centuries of experience in top positions at multinational corporations and other financial institutions, including Applied Materials, Inc., Microsoft, Walmart and more.

Live Price Chart

How To Trade On The NASDAQ

Your choice of NASDAQ broker will depend on what you want to trade. There are advantages and disadvantages to different asset types, and some products will work better with a particular investment style than others.

When it comes to brokers with NASDAQ, the choice largely depends on whether you want to pick individual stocks or trade an asset that tracks the overall performance of the top companies or a particular sector on the exchange, such as technology, oil and gas, or financials.

NASDAQ Index Tracker Funds

Many brokers in the UK offer funds which track the NASDAQ, the index of the 101 biggest non-financial companies on the exchange. These funds make strategic picks of a diverse range of stocks on the NASDAQ 100 to provide an asset that is representative of the index as a whole.

The weighting in this type of ETF usually favours companies with higher market capitalisation, as these will have a bigger impact on the index. In other words, the value of your fund should closely follow the price movements of the NASDAQ 100.

NASDAQ 100 tracker ETFs are widely available from established UK brokers. They are popular as a long-term investment option – for example, in an ISA – as they are one of the most reliable performers over a longer time frame.

Additionally, UK investors with exposure to a NASDAQ tracker ETF in their ISA will probably not need to worry about tax-related issues with their investments, as they will be exempt from capital gains tax and dividends will be tax-free.

Other NASDAQ ETFs

A whole host of exchange-traded funds available from UK brokers offer investors exposure to the NASDAQ in a variety of ways. Some of these funds offer investors the pick of NASDAQ-listed companies from a particular sector. For example, some of the best-known NASDAQ ETFs build a portfolio specifically out of stocks in the exchange’s famous tech sector or with Brazilian companies listed on the index.

A range of sector-specific ETFs track the overall performance of diverse areas from the exchange’s pharmaceutical firms – including giants like Moderna – to niche areas such as cybersecurity.

Bear in mind that a lot of other tracker funds and ETFs will provide exposure to NASDAQ companies without specifically tracking the index. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones, for example, are indices tracking the performance of US stocks overall, so naturally both include some of the top NASDAQ holdings companies.

NASDAQ Stocks & Shares

UK investors who like to do their own research and make the effort to develop a portfolio of their own will often seek a broker that offers individual shares in NASDAQ companies. The selection of stocks available to investors is likely to be taken from the exchange’s more limited international listings, but the top NASDAQ brokers and trading platforms still offer a wealth of choice that will satisfy most traders.

Traders on the eToro platform, for example, have access to stocks and shares in 849 NASDAQ-listed companies. This list includes some of the world’s leading companies.

Among the towering names on the NASDAQ you will find:

• Apple (AAPL)
• Airbnb (ABNB)
• Adobe (ADBE)
• Amazon (AMZN)
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
• eBay Inc (EBAY)
• Alphabet Inc (GOOG)
• Intel Corporation (INTC)
• The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC)
• Meta Platforms (META)
• Moderna Inc (MRNA)
• Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)
• Starbucks Corporation (SBUX)
• Tesla, Inc (TSLA)

A quick glance at this list will show the prominence of tech giants on the NASDAQ. This is a tech-heavy exchange, and it also includes some lesser-known but crucial companies in the sector, such as ASML, one of the most important manufacturers of equipment used to make computer chips. Canny investors will find plenty of worthwhile companies on the NASDAQ, and should put the effort in and do the research to find good bargains.

Individual NASDAQ stocks are harder to come by on most of the established UK ISA accounts, which tend to offer investors ready-made proprietary investment products or access to index-tracking ETFs. But some self-select ISAs will offer investors the opportunity to pick individual companies’ stocks and shares. Interactive Investor is one popular online platform that allows UK users to buy shares of NASDAQ-listed companies.

However, UK investors should remember that even though the ISA leaves them exempt from UK taxes on their investments, they may still be liable to pay tax in the United States if they trade a NASDAQ-listed company. There is a 30% withholding tax charged on dividends in the United States, which your broker or trading platform may subtract from the income you receive.

Filling out a W8-BEN form reduces this amount to 15%, and many NASDAQ brokers also provide assistance with completing and returning this form.

NASDAQ Futures

NASDAQ futures are derivatives that allow traders to execute trades based on their forecasts of the future price of NASDAQ indexes, usually for hedging or speculative purposes.

All NASDAQ futures are traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), which sets minimum equity requirements ranging from $2,000–$17,500 depending on the index. However, lower requirements may be on offer from online NASDAQ brokers who deal in index futures.

Popular NASDAQ futures include:

• E-mini NASDAQ futures (ticker: QCN)
• E-mini NASDAQ biotechnology futures (ticker: BIO)
• NASDAQ-100 futures (ticker: ND)
• E-mini NASDAQ-100 futures (ticker: NQ)

NASDAQ Binary Options

Binary options are another choice that is popular among beginner traders due to their streamlined and straightforward qualities. Traders don’t need to worry about setting up and executing complex trades with stop losses – with binaries, you simply bet on whether the price will go up or down and earn (or lose) an amount of money that is determined before the contract begins.

Trading Hours

The NASDAQ follow the same trading hours as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) – from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern Time Zone (EST).

Extended Markets are available during pre-market hours between 4:00 am and 9:30 am and during after-hours from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Futures markets usually trade almost 24 hours, 6 days a week, from 6:00 pm Sunday to 5:00 pm Friday.

Note that some NASDAQ brokers set their own hours for trading NASDAQ stocks and indexes.

Bottom Line On NASDAQ Brokers

The NASDAQ is one of the world’s best-known stock markets, and it provides opportunities for investors of many different strips. You can find long-term value in NASDAQ index trackers and other ETFs, build up a portfolio of your own pick of individual stocks and shares, or try to profit from price movements by trading derivatives. Whatever your strategy, it is important to take the time to find a broker with NASDAQ that offers the products you want at the most competitive price.

Head to our ranking of the best NASDAQ brokers to find a suitable trading platform.

FAQ