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Financial encyclopediaReviewed 2026-10-23

Derivatives

Financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset, security or index. For example, a stock option is a derivative because its value changes in relation to the price movement of the underlying stock.

Sources and references ↗
PROFILE / FACT FILE

Concept at a glance

Term
Derivatives [1]
Subject area
Investor.gov glossary [1]
Jurisdiction / scope
US regulatory and investor-education context [1]
Primary reference
SEC · Investor.gov [1]

Definition and explanation

Financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset, security or index. For example, a stock option is a derivative because its value changes in relation to the price movement of the underlying stock. [1]

Source-supported connections

Derivatives → Mentioned in the official explanation → Asset [1]
Derivatives → Mentioned in the official explanation → Security [1]
Derivatives → Mentioned in the official explanation → Stock [1]

Frequently asked questions

What does Derivatives mean in the cited reference?

Financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset, security or index. For example, a stock option is a derivative because its value changes in relation to the price movement of the underlying stock. [1]

RELATION MAP

Derivatives connection map

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Derivatives

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Links retain their source-specific meaning. Award-time affiliations and links to related reading are not claims about current appointments or economic causation.

Sources and review dates

  1. US SEC · Investor.gov — Derivatives ↗

Reviewed 23 October 2026. Historical dates and award-time affiliations retain their original context. A review date is not an event date. Background sources are identified separately from official records.

Content preparation: source-based compilation with AI assistance. See methods and attribution. Named sources identify the underlying records; no individual expert review is claimed.