Chapter 9
Derivatives: Futures, Options, and Swaps

Chapter Overview

This chapter provides an introduction to derivatives, and examines both their uses and abuses. Reading this chapter will prepare students to: * Explain derivatives. * Understand how derivatives can be used to transfer risk. * Analyze the pricing of derivatives.
Chapter Outline
I. The Basics: Defining Derivatives A. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on (i.e., is derived from) the value of some other underlying financial instrument or asset (these include stocks or bonds as well as other assets). B. A simple example is an interest rate futures contract, which is an agreement between two investors that obligates one to make a payment to the other depending on the movement in interest rates over the next year. C. Such an arrangement is very different from the purchase of a bond for two reasons: a. Derivatives provide an easy way for investors to profit from price declines, as opposed to the purchase of a bond, which is a bet that its price will increase. b. In a derivatives transaction, one person’s loss is always the other person’s gain. D. Derivatives can be used to speculate on future price movements, but because they allow investors to manage and reduce risk, they are indispensable to a modern economy. E. The purpose of derivatives is to transfer risk from one person or firm to another, providing a kind of insurance. F. Derivatives increase the risk-carrying capacity of the economy as a whole, improving the allocation of resources and increasing the level of output. G. Derivatives also can be used to conceal the true nature of certain financial transactions because they can be used to unbundle virtually any group of future payments and risks. H. Derivatives may be divided into three major