Futures Contracts as an Instrument for Increasing the Portfolio Performances

Investment companies are exploring the best opportunities on financial markets for financial instruments transactions in order to optimize the portfolio structure and to diversify the risk. Trading the financial derivatives is assumed to be one of the most efficient methods to increase the returns and minimize the risk while managing the portfolio. Financial derivatives transactions turn into the most popular mechanism aimed at increasing the portfolio performances. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to explore the financial futures characteristics and types, as well as the impact of the futures strategies on the risk and portfolio returns.