Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives in Russia: An Overview

This work provides a descriptive overview of Russian markets for financial derivatives. Available figures for the exchange-traded and over-the-counter-traded derivatives in Russia show that the Russian derivatives markets experienced enormous growth rates since the financial crisis in 1998. Starting from a very low level, turnover of exchange-traded derivatives in Russia rose from 2000 to 2006 on average 168 percent per year and reached a total turnover of EUR 102 billion in 2006. Among futures, equity futures, followed by currency futures, are the most traded exchange-traded derivatives in Russia. Turnover of exchange-traded derivatives on interest rates, bonds or even commodities represent only a very small fraction of the total turnover. Available figures for the Russian OTC foreign exchange derivatives market suggest for the period between April 2004 and 2007 an annual turnover growth rate of 47 percent. Foreign exchange swaps in RUR against USD and in USD against EUR and other currencies were the most popular OTC foreign exchange derivatives in April 2004 and 2007.