Mina Mar Group

Futures contract or just futures is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell assets at a predetermined price at a specified date in the future. Underlying asset can be stock market index, currencies or most common commodities - oil. gasoline and gold. Buyer of the future has the obligation to buy the underlying asset when the future contract expires just like the seller has the obligation to provide the asset at the expiration date. Futures that are traded on commodity future exchanges are more standardized and regulated like Chicago Mercantile Exchange or  New York Mercantile Exchange. Standardized contract means that for instance, one future oil contract is for 1,000 of oil and one gold contract is for 100 troy ounces of gold. The Commodities Futures Trading Commission regulates the exchanges and require buyers and sellers to be registered. Futures are used by two types of market participants - hedgers and speculators. Guarantees to buy or sell at a cert...

Derivative is very complex complex to explain but at its most it is financial contract between two or more parties and it derives its price from an underlying asset. Basically buyer agrees to purchase the asset on a specific date at a specific price. There are numerous types of derivatives and underlying assets can be almost anything but the most common are commodities (oil, gasoline, oil), currencies, stocks, bonds, interest rates and market indexes. They can be traded on unregulated over-the-counter market where transactions happen between private parties or they can be traded on exchange where they are highly regulated and standardized. Bear in mind that OTC constitutes major portion of  derivative market and it caries great counterparty risk - possibility that one of the parties involved might default. Common derivatives are options, futures,swaps and forwards.  Options give the buyer right but not the obligation to sell or purchase underlying asset at a ce...