A Primer on Financial Derivatives - ARCHIVED

One of the most significant financial market trends is the increased use of derivative instruments. Across the entire investment spectrum, from private investors to major banks and large institutional fund managers, the use of derivative products is becoming encompassing. Derivatives can be broadly defined as secondary assets, the value of which changes in concert with price movements of a related or underlying primary asset. These instruments may be divided into four broad categories: futures, forwards, options and swaps. Trading on established exchanges, and very active in over-the-counter markets, derivative contracts have become fundamental tools in both domestic and international finance.