Derivative contracts are an often misunderstood product within the financial markets. Textbooks often do a poor job of equipping people with the practical knowledge they need to understand how derivative contracts are used. Introduction to derivative markets explores how futures, forwards, swaps and options are used to speculate on financial assets and hedge risks.

By the end of this course, you will be able to

• Describe the difference between physical, capital, and derivative markets.
• Compare the contract specifications of futures, forwards, swaps and options.
• Choose the appropriate derivative contract for a range of speculative, hedging, and arbitrage strategies.
• Interpret contract specifications from Bloomberg for a range of derivative contracts.