Single-stock futures (SSFs) represent a significant development in stock-related derivatives. It is of academic interest as to why SSFs, as a derivative product, have not gained widespread acceptance in most markets, particularly in developed markets. We analyze the Indian securities market for evidence about the
role of SSFs and their effectiveness in terms of price discovery, information share, and stock returns. SSFs traded on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) have grown substantially since their inception in 2001. As to why other markets have struggled to generate interest among investors for SSFs, see,Fung and Tse (2008), among others, for a review of SSFs traded in a number of international exchanges.
A single-stock futures contract provides a way to take advantage of arbitrage, speculative, and hedging
opportunities, while reducing trading pressures on the underlying markets. Without futures contracts on
individual stocks, arbitrageurs and investors must trade in the underlying assets, or trade options and
index products.