CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, and Nasdaq, a global technology company serving the capital markets and other industries, today announced plans for a new futures contract on the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index (NQH2O). CME Group will launch its new Nasdaq Veles California Water Index futures contract in late Q4, pending regulatory review.

Nasdaq Veles California Water Index futures will be an innovative, first-of-its-kind tool to provide agricultural, commercial, and municipal water users with greater transparency, price discovery, and risk transfer – all of which can help to more efficiently align supply and demand of this vital resource.

“With nearly two-thirds of the world’s population expected to face water shortages by 2025, water scarcity presents a growing risk for businesses and communities around the world, and particularly for the $1.1 billion California water market,” said Tim McCourt, CME Group Global Head of Equity Index and Alternative Investment Products. “Developing risk management tools that address growing environmental concerns is increasingly important to CME Group. This innovative, new water contract builds on our strong partnership with Nasdaq, as well as our proven 175-year track record of helping end users and other market participants manage risk in essential commodity markets including agriculture, energy, and metals.” 

Introducing @Nasdaq Veles California Water Index futures, a first-of-its-kind tool to help market participants manage exposure to water supply and demand risk. Coming Q4 2020.

— CME Group (@CMEGroup) September 17, 2020

“The Nasdaq Veles California Water Index helps drive better outcomes for water market participants through verifiable price discovery,” said Lauren Dillard, Executive Vice President and Head of Nasdaq Global Information Services. “Our collaboration with CME Group has the power to deliver greater transparency around the management of an important natural resource.”

A liquid, transparent futures market will help to create a forward curve so water users can hedge future price risk. For example, 40% of water currently consumed in California is used to irrigate its nine million acres of crops. Nasdaq Veles California Water Index futures would allow an agricultural producer to plan ahead for changing costs of the water they need for large-scale irrigation. It would also allow a commercial end user, like a manufacturer, to better navigate business and financial risks when water prices fluctuate.

The new California water futures contract will be financially settled based on the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index launched in 2018, with each contract representing 10 acre-feet of water. The index sets a weekly benchmark spot price of water rights in California, based on the volume-weighted average of the transaction prices in California’s five largest and most actively traded water markets. Nasdaq developed the NQH2O Index in partnership with Veles Water Limited, a firm specializing in the development of financial products for water markets. The data utilized in the calculation of the index is provided by WestWater Research, an economic consulting firm focused on pricing, valuation, and transaction advisory services for water rights and water resource development.

In 2019, @Nasdaq announced the launch of the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index (NQH20). Today, @CMEGroup and Nasdaq plan for a futures contract on the Index.

Learn more: https://t.co/OPqeJ0yHtS pic.twitter.com/CvZEN3UIz4

— Nasdaq (@Nasdaq) September 17, 2020

Nasdaq Veles California Water Index futures will be listed by and subject to the rules of CME. For more information and contract specifications, please visit www.cmegroup.com/waterfutures. For more information on the NQH20 Index, visit www.Nasdaq.com/waterindexes.

Source: CME