As part of our ongoing effort to educate investors and make markets more accessible, Nasdaq launched its Derivatives Academy, an intuitive e-learning program built to satisfy the explicit need for education on equity derivatives. With courses for retail and professional investors, the Academy combines cost-efficiency and quality to help investors diversify their portfolios with courses on how to make informed investment decisions.
Derivatives are contracts between two or more parties whose value is tied to a benchmark, asset or a group of assets. These are usually currencies, equities, commodities, interest rates or market indices. Many derivatives follow a similar model: a company or investor buys a contract based on a security at a locked price for a future date, speculating on its value to make a profit or hedge risk. There are also different sophisticated options strategies that can be used for optimizing exposures as well as creating extra income in a portfolio.
Futures are one of the most common types of derivatives, others include options, forwards and swaps. Each type of derivative has its own advantages and disadvantages and are a great way for companies and investors to lock in prices against a fluctuating market and mitigate risk in their portfolios.
But each type of derivative requires a complex understanding of the financial markets. According to Nikolaj Kosakewitsch, Head of European Equities at Nasdaq, “While derivatives can unlock new opportunities to generate returns, trading derivatives also requires an understanding of the complexity and risks involved.” This is why we built the derivatives academy: to effectively educate investors of any experience level about the complexity, benefits and risks of equity derivatives.
The program currently offers three courses developed in close partnerships with leading international educators and Nordic market participants:
- Private Investor Training: Learn the fundamentals to take your first steps in derivatives trading
- Professional Investor Training: Take your derivatives knowledge to the next level and accelerate your career
- Risk, Post Trade and Compliance Training: Expand your knowledge of derivatives and the related risk and clearing aspects
Our launch partners include globally recognized financial education institutions, including Nosco Training, a Swiss-based company focused on education in equity derivatives and risk finance for 20 years, Enspiri, a firm specializing in education and derivatives for both professional and retail investors and Financial Training Partner, a Danish-based firm that has delivered financial courses and tailor-made education to institutions in Scandinavia since 2002.
Enrolling in the Nasdaq Derivatives Academy provides three key benefits for investors:
- Education for investors at every level
- 24/7 e-learning
- Expert teachers
The launch of the Academy is part of Nasdaq’s larger purpose to advance inclusive growth and prosperity by providing resources to underserved communities, making the markets more accessible to all. “As an operator of seven equity markets providing investors across northern Europe with transparent and open access to trading, Nasdaq is uniquely positioned to offer investors relevant and neutral knowledge about trading equity derivatives,” Kosakewitsch said. “This is why we developed the Nasdaq Derivatives Academy.”