NQZ6 - E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (December 2026)

E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures December 2026 contract: CME E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures (NQ): tracks the Nasdaq 100 large-cap technology and growth index. Standard contract for tech-heavy index hedging and directional exposure.

As of Oct 15, 2026: spot at $30142.50, ATM IV 19.8%, max pain $30500.00, net GEX -$1.81B.

Sector
Equity Index Futures
Industry
Equity Index Futures
Exchange
CME

NQZ6 Contract Specifications

Contract Month
December 2026
Month Code
Z (December)
Root
NQ
Underlying
E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures
Exchange
CME
Contract Size
$20 multiplier on the Nasdaq 100 index
Point Value
$20 per index point
Tick Size
0.25 index points
Tick Value
$5.00 per tick

NQZ6 Settlement and Trading Hours

Settlement: Cash-settled to the Nasdaq 100 Special Opening Quotation on the third Friday of the contract month.

Trading hours: Globex Sunday-Friday 6:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET.

How NQZ6 Fits in the Futures Curve

NQZ6 is the December 2026 listing of the E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures contract. Each listed expiration carries its own implied-volatility surface, term structure position, and basis to the underlying instrument. The front-month contract typically dominates volume and is the reference for options-on-futures pricing; back-month contracts price the term structure of the underlying's volatility and (for physically-delivered commodities) the carry between spot and forward.

What NQZ6 Looks Like to Options Traders Today

negative net gamma exposure (-$1.81B) means dealers hedge with trend, amplifying realized volatility and accelerating directional moves; the 25-delta skew (0.059) prices calls richer than puts, often reflecting upside speculation or squeeze risk.

What This Page Covers

The NQZ6 overview links into per-metric analysis views: max pain, gamma exposure, volatility skew, expected move, options chain, open interest history, and aggregate Greeks.

Frequently asked NQZ6 overview questions

What is NQZ6?
NQZ6 is the ticker symbol for E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (December 2026), a listed futures contract. E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures December 2026 contract: CME E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures (NQ): tracks the Nasdaq 100 large-cap technology and growth index. Standard contract for tech-heavy index hedging and directional exposure. Listed on CME. NQZ6 is the listed futures symbol shown on this page; futures traders use the contract for directional exposure, hedging the underlying instrument, and as the delivery instrument for options-on-futures structures.
What does the NQZ6 options snapshot look like today?
As of Oct 15, 2026, the NQZ6 options snapshot shows spot at $30142.50, ATM IV 19.8%, max pain $30500.00, net GEX -$1.81B, expected move 5.69%. The full options chain, Greeks by strike and expiration, per-strike open-interest distribution, dealer gamma and delta exposure, and the volatility skew surface are linked from this overview page. Each per-metric route refreshes once per trading session and reflects the most recent close-of-business listed-options state.
What are NQZ6's key statistics?
E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (December 2026) (NQZ6) carries a December 2026 expiry on the CME-listed E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures contract, with a $20 per index point point value. Full contract specifications including settlement convention, tick size, and curve term-structure context are on the contract reference block above. Options-on-futures pricing references these spec fields directly via the multiplier and exchange contract rules.
What underlies the NQZ6 futures contract?
NQZ6 is the December 2026 listing on the E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures contract, traded on the CME. Each listed expiration carries its own implied-volatility surface, term-structure position relative to other listed months, and (for physically-delivered contracts) basis to the spot underlying. Front-month contracts dominate volume and serve as the reference for options-on-futures pricing; back-month contracts price the term structure of the underlying's volatility.
How current is the NQZ6 data on this page?
The options snapshot above is dated Oct 15, 2026 and refreshes once per session, with all per-strike Greeks and exposure aggregates recomputed at the daily close. Contract specifications come from the listing exchange (CME) and do not change over the life of the contract once listed. Options-on-futures data, when available, refreshes after each trading session. There is no equity-style FINRA reporting or sell-side analyst coverage for futures contracts.

NQZ6 Positioning (CFTC Commitments of Traders)

In CFTC's NASDAQ-100 Consolidated market (CFTC units: NASDAQ 100 INDEX X $20), Leveraged funds were net short 26,738 contracts, -9.0% of open interest; 3-year range 64/100, positions as of Oct 6, 2026. CFTC's consolidated market: the E-mini and Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 together, in E-mini contracts. CFTC publishes each report on the Friday after the date its positions are as of, later in holiday or delayed weeks.