Nasdaq Gains 0.24% on Earnings Surge and Strategic Moves Despite 448th Volume Rank

On July 31, 2025, Nasdaq (NDAQ) rose 0.24% with a trading volume of $330 million, ranking 448th in market activity. The stock’s performance reflected strong earnings momentum and strategic developments. Nasdaq reported Q2 net income of $452 million, exceeding estimates with 24% EPS growth and 13% revenue increase. The firm also announced a $0.27 per share quarterly dividend, payable in September, and extended its Nasdaq-100 futures license with CME Group through 2039. Thomson Reuters joined the Nasdaq-100 Index, replacing ANSYS, signaling ongoing index compositional adjustments.

Short interest in Nasdaq-listed securities totaled 13.8 billion shares as of July 15, slightly down from 14.1 billion in June, indicating reduced bearish positioning. Institutional activity included new investments from Level Four Advisory and Gotham Asset Management, while Prudential Financial sold a significant stake. Nasdaq’s Agentic AI Workforce initiative, aimed at enhancing AML compliance efficiency, underscored its focus on technological innovation. The company also launched AI-powered order types approved by the SEC, positioning itself at the forefront of market infrastructure advancements.

A backtest of a strategy purchasing the top 500 volume-driven stocks and holding for one day generated a 166.71% return from 2022 to 2025, outperforming the benchmark’s 29.18% by 137.53%. The strategy’s success highlighted effective momentum capture and risk management amid fluctuating market conditions.