INTRODUCTION TO FUTURES AND OPTIONS
In recent years, derivatives market have become increasingly important in the field of finance. While futures and options are now actively traded on many exchanges, forward contract s are popular on the OTC market. In this chapter we shall study in detail these three derivative contracts. .
FORWARD CONTRACTS
A forward contract is an agreement to buy or sell an asset on a specified date for a specified price. One of the parties to the contract assumes a long position and agrees to buy the underlying asset on a certain specified future date for a certain specified price. The other party assumes a short position and agrees to sell the asset on the same date for the same price. Other contract details like delivery date, price and quantity are negotiated bilaterally by the parties to the contract. The forward contracts are normally traded outside the exchanges. The Salient features of forward contracts are:
- They are bilateral contracts and hence exposed to counter-party risk.
- Each contract is custom designed, and hence is unique in terms of contract size, expiration date and the asset type and quality.
- The contract price is generally not available in public domain.
- On the expiration date, the contract has to be settled by delivery of the asset.
- If the party wishes to reverse the contract, it has to compulsorily go to the same counter party, which often results in high prices being charged.
However forward contracts in certain markets have become very standardized, as in the case of foreign exchange, thereby reducing transaction costs and increasing transactions volume. This process of standardization reaches its limit in the organized futures market.
ward contracts are very useful in hedging and “culation. The classic hedging application would be at of an exporter who expects to receive payment in ollars three months later. He is exposed to the risk of exchange rate fluctuations. By using the currency forward market to sell dollars forward, he can lock on to a rate today and reduce his uncertainty. Similarly an importer who is required to make a payment in dollars two months hence can reduce his exposure to exchange rate fluctuations by buying dollars forward.
If a speculator has information or analysis, which forecasts an upturn in a price, then he can go long on the forward market instead of the cash market. The speculator would go long on the forward, wait for the price to rise, and then take a reversing transaction to book profits. Speculators inay well be required to deposit a margin up front. However, this is generally a relatively small proportion of the value of the underlying the forward contract. The use of forward markets here supplies leverage to the speculator.
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