101 Concepts for the Level I Exam
Concept 89: Purposes of and Controversies Related to Derivative Markets
Purposes:
- facilitate the transfer of risk
- allows strategies and payoffs not otherwise possible with spot assets
- provide information about the spot market
- offer lower transaction costs
- reduce the amount of capital required
- easier to short derivative than it is to short the underlying
- improve the efficiency of spot markets
Controversies: They are sometimes referred to as a form of legalized gambling that can lead to destabilizing speculation.
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