What is OTC?: Meaning & Types
- 02 Mar 2024
- By: BlinkX Research Team
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In over the counter (OTC) derivatives, financial contracts are negotiated and traded between two parties without the involvement of a centralised exchange. In contrast to exchange-traded derivatives, which are standardised and regulated, OTC derivatives are more flexible and customised to meet the specific needs of the participants.
Here, we will explore the over the counter meaning in trading and discuss its importance on the financial market. We will also explore types of OTC derivatives, their underlying assets, advantages, disadvantages, and risks.
Over the Counter (OTC) Meaning
OTC meaning refers to the trading stocks of companies not listed on a stock exchange. The reason could be non-compliance with listing norms or ineligibility. Such companies might be in interesting fields, such as a popular technology or a product that has the potential for growth that investors are interested in. Over the counter derivatives markets give investors the chance to buy shares of companies that aren't listed.
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Table of Content
- Over the Counter (OTC) Meaning
- Types of OTC Derivatives Market
- Types of OTC Derivatives
- Advantages of OTC Derivatives
- A few risks you can manage with OTC Derivatives
Types of OTC Derivatives Market
Over the Counter derivatives are traded through dealer networks, and they're often called unlisted stocks. OTC derivatives are traded through the broker/dealer network through direct negotiation between the two parties. Moreover, knowing the OTC meaning you also must understand that the counter derivatives market can be divided into two types:
Types of OTC Derivatives
The following kinds of OTC trading are available based on the underlying assets below:
Advantages of OTC Derivatives
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of OTC derivatives:
Advantages of OTC Derivatives | Disadvantages of OTC Derivatives |
---|---|
Allows trading for unlisted small businesses, reducing financial/administrative costs. | Lack of central clearing and settlement poses credit/default risks. |
Enables hedging, risk transfer, and leveraging for businesses. | The absence of standardised regulations leads to inherent and systemic risks. |
Provides flexibility by not adhering to standardised norms of exchange-traded derivatives. | OTC contracts can involve speculative trading, resulting in potential losses for traders. |
A few risks you can manage with OTC Derivatives
One strategy to lower exposure to financial asset risk is to use a hedge. To hedge is to take a contrary position in a securities or investment to offset the price risk of an ongoing trade. Thus, a deal is referred to as a hedge when it is made to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in another asset. Investors can hedge against adverse fluctuations in the value of almost any type of investment, such as stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and so on. There are three types of risks you can hedge against with Over the Counter derivatives:
Conclusion
The OTC full form is "over the counter". The over the counter meaning in derivatives is that the contracts are traded directly between buyer and seller, without a central exchange. Furthermore, the underlying assets of OTC derivatives can include interest rates, commodities, equities, forex, fixed income securities, and credit risks.
While OTC derivatives have advantages like lower costs, risk hedging, and greater flexibility, they also have some risks. There are credit and default risks because there is no centralised clearing mechanism, and there are also speculative risks. Also, when it comes to trading stocks, the BlinkX trading app can be incredibly helpful. You can explore and capitalise on i