Derivatives

In finance, contracts whose value is derived from another asset, which can include stocks, bonds, currencies, interest rates, commodities, and related indexes. Purchasers of derivatives are essentially wagering on the future performance of that asset.

Derivatives include such widely accepted products as futures and options. Concern over the risky nature of derivatives grew after some well-publicized corporate losses in 1994 involving Procter & Gamble, Metallgesellschaft AG of Germany, and Orange County, Calif. Anxiety intensified after the collapse in 1995 of the London-based merchant bank Barings PLC (now part of the Dutch ING Group NV). Securities regulators from 16 countries then agreed on measures to improve control of derivatives.