In finance, a derivative is a contract between a buyer and a seller. The derivative can take various forms, depending on the transaction, but every derivative has the following four elements:
- an item (the "underlier") that can or must be bought or sold,
- a future act which must occur (such as a sale or purchase of the underlier),
- a price at which the future transaction must take place, and
- a future date by which the act (such as a purchase or sale) must take place.
A derivative's value depends on the performance of the underlier, which can be a commodity (for example, corn or oil), a financial instrument (e.g. a stock or a bond), a price index, a currency, or an interest rate.