What Is Derivatives In Simple Words?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Definition: A derivative is

a contract between two parties which derives its value/price from an underlying asset

. The most common types of derivatives are futures, options, forwards and swaps. … Generally stocks, bonds, currency, commodities and interest rates form the underlying asset.

What do you mean by derivatives?

A derivative is

a contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an agreed-upon underlying financial asset

(like a security) or set of assets (like an index). Common underlying instruments include bonds, commodities, currencies, interest rates, market indexes, and stocks.

What is derivative with simple example?

A derivative is an instrument whose value is derived from the value of one or more underlying, which can be commodities, precious metals, currency, bonds, stocks, stocks indices, etc. Four most common examples of derivative instruments are

Forwards, Futures, Options and Swaps

. 2.

What is financial derivatives in simple words?

Financial derivatives are

financial instruments the price of which is determined by the value of another asset

. … Financial derivatives include various options, warrants, forward contracts, futures and currency and interest rate swaps.

What are derivatives and its types?

Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from other underlying assets. There are mainly four types of derivative contracts such as

futures, forwards, options & swaps

. However, Swaps are complex instruments that are not traded in the Indian stock market.

What are the benefits of derivatives?

  • Hedging risk exposure. Since the value of the derivatives is linked to the value of the underlying asset, the contracts are primarily used for hedging risks. …
  • Underlying asset price determination. …
  • Market efficiency. …
  • Access to unavailable assets or markets.

What are derivatives used for in real life?

Application of Derivatives in Real Life


To calculate the profit and loss in business using graphs

. To check the temperature variation. To determine the speed or distance covered such as miles per hour, kilometre per hour etc. Derivatives are used to derive many equations in Physics.

How do derivatives work?

Derivatives are

contracts that derive values from underlying assets or securities

. Traders take this risk as they have the opportunity to take positions in larger volume of stocks in terms of lots that is available on leverage and cheaper cost of transaction against owning the underlying asset.

How many derivative rules are there?

However, there are

three

very important rules that are generally applicable, and depend on the structure of the function we are differentiating. These are the product, quotient, and chain rules, so be on the lookout for them.

What are derivatives products?

Value of a derivative transaction

is derived from the value of its underlying asset e.g. Bond, Interest Rate, Commodity or other market variables

such as currency exchange rate. … Please read Disclaimer before proceeding. I will be explaining what derivative financial products are.

What are the different types of derivatives?

The four major types of derivative contracts are

options, forwards, futures and swaps

. Options: Options are derivative contracts that give the buyer a right to buy/sell the underlying asset at the specified price during a certain period of time. The buyer is not under any obligation to exercise the option.

What are the difference between forward and future contract?

A forward contract is a private and customizable agreement that settles at the end of the agreement and is traded over-the-counter. A futures contract has standardized terms and is traded on an exchange, where prices are settled on a daily basis until the end of the contract.

How do you trade derivatives?

Trading Derivatives

Derivatives can be bought or sold in two ways—

over-the-counter (OTC) or on an exchange

. OTC derivatives are contracts that are made privately between parties, such as swap agreements, in an unregulated venue. On the other hand, derivatives that trade on an exchange are standardized contracts.

How banks use derivatives?

Banks use

derivatives to hedge

, to reduce the risks involved in the bank’s operations. For example, a bank’s financial profile might make it vulnerable to losses from changes in interest rates. The bank could purchase interest rate futures to protect itself. Or a pension fund can protect itself against credit default.

Why are derivatives bad?

The widespread trading of these instruments is both good and bad because although

derivatives can mitigate portfolio risk

, institutions that are highly leveraged can suffer huge losses if their positions move against them.

Why do companies use derivatives?

When used properly, derivatives can be used by firms

to help mitigate various financial risk exposures that they may be exposed to

. Three common ways of using derivatives for hedging include foreign exchange risks, interest rate risk, and commodity or product input price risks.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.