US30, NAS100, and SPX500 are the most heavily traded index CFDs among retail traders. Although they all represent 'the US stock market', their composition and behavior differ enough that picking the wrong one for a strategy can lead to unexpected volatility or drift.
US30 (Dow Jones Industrial Average)
Only 30 large, established 'blue-chip' companies, price-weighted rather than cap-weighted. This means a high-priced stock like a single component with a $500 share price can move the index more than a larger company trading at $50, regardless of total market value.
NAS100 (Nasdaq 100)
Heavily weighted toward technology and growth companies. This makes NAS100 the most volatile of the three majors — it rallies hardest in risk-on, low-rate environments and sells off hardest when rates rise or growth stocks fall out of favor.
SPX500 (S&P 500)
500 companies across all sectors, market-cap weighted. It's the broadest and most commonly cited benchmark for 'the US market' and sits in volatility between the steadier US30 and the more explosive NAS100.
| Index | Constituents | Weighting | Typical daily range |
|---|---|---|---|
| US30 | 30 | Price-weighted | ~0.4-0.8% |
| NAS100 | 100 | Market-cap (modified) | ~0.7-1.5% |
| SPX500 | 500 | Market-cap weighted | ~0.5-1.0% |
Sessions
All three trade nearly around the clock via futures-linked CFD pricing, roughly Sunday 22:00 UTC through Friday 21:00 UTC, with a short daily maintenance break. Liquidity and tightest spreads cluster around the US cash session, approximately 14:30-21:00 UTC.
US30, NAS100, and SPX500 usually move in the same direction because they share many of the largest US companies. Holding all three at once rarely diversifies risk — it often just multiplies the same directional bet.
Which One to Trade
- ▸Prefer steadier, cleaner trends: US30.
- ▸Want the highest volatility and biggest intraday range: NAS100.
- ▸Want the broadest, most 'balanced' US market exposure: SPX500.
Because a handful of mega-cap tech names dominate NAS100, a single earnings report or guidance cut from one of them can move the whole index sharply, even when the broader economy looks unchanged.