TradingKey – On June 30, 2026, Eastern Time, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME) announced that it will launch single stock futures on July 27, with the first batch of contracts covering more than 50 US individual stocks in the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 1000 indices, including Nvidia ( NVDA ), SpaceX ( SPCX ), Micron ( MU ), Apple ( AAPL ), Alphabet ( GOOGL ), Meta ( META ), Tesla ( TSLA ), and other companies.
CME stated that the aforementioned products will officially launch upon regulatory approval, with the first batch including 55 standard contracts and 22 micro contracts.
[List of 55 Standard Contracts, Source: CME Official Website]
CME has previously offered equity derivatives such as E-mini stock index futures and individual stock options, but has never had single stock futures products. The newly introduced contracts are cash-settled, listed on the CME, and subject to its rules. Tim McCourt, CME’s Global Head of Equity, FX, and Alternative Products, said these contracts offer a way to express views on individual stocks, allowing market participants to gain exposure or hedge against price volatility without directly purchasing the underlying shares.
For institutional investors, the margin system of futures requires less capital than holding shares directly or buying call options, freeing up more liquidity. Investors can also implement targeted hedges against individual stock price volatility, which is particularly useful during earnings seasons or periods of regulatory changes. Because they are cash-settled and do not involve physical delivery, they are more convenient for cross-border capital and quantitative strategies.
Among the first batch, the inclusion of SpaceX has drawn significant attention. The company’s stock price has fluctuated wildly this year, and the inclusion of single stock futures provides institutional investors with an additional hedging tool. Nvidia’s gain this year ranks among the top in the S&P 500 components, and the market expects its futures contracts to be among the most actively traded.
Data shows that demand for equity derivatives has grown rapidly over the past year. CME disclosed that as of mid-2026, demand for its equity derivatives was extremely robust, with average daily volume (ADV) for futures soaring to a record high of 7.2 million contracts, a 12% increase year-on-year. The launch of single stock futures, to some extent, captures this incremental demand.
On the timeline, CME first disclosed this plan on February 10 of this year, stating at the time that it would “launch in summer, pending regulatory review.” After nearly five months, the product received final approval and is officially scheduled for July 27. CME has already launched a dedicated page on its official website ( cmegroup.com/ssf) where investors can check the product specifications.
It is worth noting that single stock futures are highly leveraged instruments, and price fluctuations will amplify gains and losses. Because they are cash-settled and do not involve physical delivery, these products cannot be used to receive dividends or exercise shareholder rights. They are primarily geared toward institutional investors and professional traders with appropriate qualifications and risk tolerance; retail investors should ensure they understand whether they can bear the corresponding risks before participating.