Clients willing to invest in futures , warrants or options should have a great expertise and experience . Derivative instruments can generate high profits as well as big losses . Therefore, investment risk is very high .
FUTURES
Among derivative instruments, the most popular ones are futures . A futures contract is a derivative instrument whose value depends on the value of another instrument , called a ‘ base instrument ‘. Futures contracts may be based on shares , bonds, stock indexes or Foreign Exchange rates .
Futures subject to trading on the WSE are based on the WIG20, TechWIG and MIDWIG indexes, blue-chip stocks, the Treasury bonds and Foreign Exchange rates .
A futures contract is a contractual agreement between two parties, one of which undertakes to buy and the other to sell a defined quantity of a base instrument, within a particular period of time (on the so-called maturity date) and at a particular price, or to make a relevant financial settlement .
WARRANTS
Warrants are securities whose issuer undertakes to cover the difference between a pre-defined exercise price and a base instrument stock price (taking into account a multiplier or a number of shares per a warrant) before the warrant expiry date . Warrants are issued by banks and other financial institutions . There are several dozen series of warrants quoted on the WSE .
OPTIONS
Options are derivative instruments whose writer undertakes to cover the difference between a fixed strike price and a base instrument settlement price before the option expiry date . However, an option buyer has a right to claim such payment from the writer. On the WSE, there are options on WIG20 stocks and selected companies stocks traded.