Risk
Disclosure Statement for Futures and Options
This brief statement
does not disclose all of the risks and other significant
aspects of trading in futures and options. In
light of the risks, you should undertake such
transactions only if you understand the nature
of the contracts (and contractual relationships)
into which you are entering and the extent of
your exposure to risk. Trading in futures and
options is not suitable for many members of the
public. You should carefully consider whether
trading is appropriate for you in light of your
experience, objectives, financial resources and
other relevant circumstances.
Futures
Effect of
"Leverage" or "Gearing"
Transactions in futures carry a high degree of
risk. The amount of Initial margin is small relative
to the value of the futures contract so that transactions
are 'leveraged' or 'geared'. A relatively small
market movement will have a proportionately larger
impact on the funds you have deposited or will
have to deposit: this may work against you as
well as for you. You may sustain a total loss
of initial margin funds and any additional funds
deposited with the firm to maintain your position.
If the market moves against your position or margin
levels are increased, you may be called upon to
pay substantial additional funds on short notice
to maintain your position. If you fail to comply
with a request for additional funds within the
time prescribed, your position may be liquidated
at a loss and you will be liable for any resulting
deficit.
Risk-reducing
orders or strategies
The placing of certain orders (e.g., "stop-loss"
orders, where permitted under local law, or "stop-limit"
orders) which are intended to limit losses to
certain amounts may not be effective because market
conditions may make it Impossible to execute such
orders. Strategies using combinations of positions,
such as "spread" and "straddle"
positions, may be as risky as taking simple "long"
or "short" positions.
Back to top |
Options
Variable
degree of risk
Transactions in options carry a high degree of
risk. Purchasers and sellers of options should
familiarize themselves with the type of option
(i.e., put or call) which they contemplate trading
and the associated risks. You should calculate
the extent to which the value of the options must
increase for your position to become profitable,
taking into account the premium and all transaction
costs. The purchaser of options may offset or
exercise the options or allow the options to expire.
The exercise of an option results either in a
cash settlement or in the purchaser acquiring
or delivering the underlying interest. If the
option is on a future, the purchaser will acquire
a futures position with associated liabilities
for margin (see the section on Futures above).
If the purchased options expire worthless, you
will suffer a total loss of your Investment which
will consist of the option premium plus transaction
costs. If you are contemplating purchasing deep-out-of-the-money
options, you should be aware that the chance of
such options becoming profitable ordinarily is
remote. Selling ("writing" or "granting")
an option generally entails considerably greater
risk then purchasing options. Although the premium
received by the seller is fixed, the seller may
sustain a loss well in excess of that amount.
The seller will be liable for additional margin
to maintain the position if the market moves unfavorably.
The seller will also be exposed to the risk of
the purchaser exercising the option and the seller
will be obligated to either settle the option
in cash or to acquire or deliver the underlying
interest. If the option is on a future, the seller
will acquire a position in a future with associated
liabilities for margin (see the section on Futures
above). If the option is "covered" by
the seller holding a corresponding position in
the underlying interest or a future or another
option, the risk may be reduced. If the option
is not covered, the risk of loss can be unlimited.
Certain exchanges in some jurisdictions permit
deferred payment of the option premium, exposing
the purchaser to liability for margin payments
not exceeding the amount of the premium. The purchaser
is still subject to the risk of losing the premium
and transaction costs. When the option is exercised
or expires, the purchaser is responsible for any
unpaid premium outstanding at that time.
Additional risks common to futures and options.
Terms and
conditions of contracts
You should ask the firm with which you deal about
the terms and conditions of the specific futures
or options which you are trading and associated
obligations (e.g., the circumstances under which
you may become obligated to make or take delivery
of the underlying interest of a futures contract
and, in respect of options, expiration dates and
restrictions on the time for exercise). Under
certain circumstances the specifications of outstanding
contracts (including the exercise price of an
option) may be modified by the exchange or clearing
house to reflect changes in the underlying interest.
Suspension
or restriction of trading and pricing relationships
Market conditions (e.g., illiquidity) and/or the
operation of the rules of certain markets (e.g.,
the suspension of trading in any contract or contract
month because of price limits or "circuit
breakers") may increase the risk of loss
by making it difficult or impossible to effect
transactions or liquidate/offset positions. If
you have sold options, this may increase the risk
of loss. Further, normal pricing relationships
between the underlying interest and the future,
and the underlying interest and the option may
not exist. This can occur when, for example, the
futures contract underlying the option is subject
to price limits while the option is not. The absence
of an underlying reference price may make it difficult
to judge "fair" value.
Deposited
cash and property
You should familiarize yourself with the protections
accorded money or other property you deposit for
domestic and foreign transactions, particularly
in the event of a firm insolvency or bankruptcy.
The extent to which you may recover your money
or property may be governed by specific legislation
or local rules. In some jurisdictions, property
which has been specifically identifiable as your
own will be pro-rated in the same manner as cash
for purposes of distribution in the event of a
shortfall.
Commission
and other charges
Before you begin to trade, you should obtain a
clear explanation of all commission, fees and
other charges for which you will be liable. These
charges will affect your net profit (if any) or
increase your loss.
Transactions
in other jurisdictions
Transactions on markets in other jurisdictions,
including markets formally linked to a domestic
market, may expose you to additional risk. Such
markets may be subject to regulation which may
offer different or diminished investor protection.
Before you trade you should enquire about any
rules relevant to your particular transactions.
Your local regulatory authority will be unable
to compel the enforcement of the rules of regulatory
authorities or markets in other jurisdictions
where your transactions have been effected. You
should ask the firm with which you deal for details
about the types of redress available in both your
home jurisdiction and other relevant jurisdictions
before you start to trade.
Currency
risks
The profit or loss in transactions In foreign
currency-denominated contracts (whether they are
traded in your own or another jurisdiction) will
be affected by fluctuations in currency rates
where there is a need to convert from the currency
denomination of the contract to another currency.
Trading
facilities
Most open-outcry and electronic trading facilities
are supported by computer-based component systems
for the order-routing, execution, matching, registration
or clearing of trades. As with all facilities
and systems, they are vulnerable to temporary
disruption or failure. Your ability to recover
certain losses may be subject to limits on liability
imposed by the system provider, the market, the
clearing house and/or member firms. Such limits
may vary: you should ask the firm with which you
deal for details in this respect.
Electronic
trading
Trading on an electronic trading system may differ
not only from trading in an open-outcry market
but also from trading on other electronic trading
systems. If you undertake transactions on an electronic
trading system, you will be exposed to risks associated
with the system including the failure of hardware
and software. The result of any system failure
may be that your order is either not executed
according to your instructions or is not executed
at all.
Off-exchange
transactions
In some jurisdictions, and only then In restricted
circumstances, firms are permitted to effect off-exchange
transactions. The firm with which you deal may
be acting as your counterparty to the transaction.
It may be difficult or impossible to liquidate
an existing position, to assess the value, to
determine a fair price or to assess the exposure
to risk. For these reasons, these transactions
may involve increased risks. Off-exchange transactions
may be less regulated or subject to a separate
regulatory regime. Before you undertake such transactions,
you should familiarize yourself with applicable
rules and attendant risks.
Back to top |
FX
Risk Disclosure
Trading foreign
exchange on margin carries a high level of risk
and may not be suitable for all investors. Before
deciding to trade foreign exchange you should
carefully consider your Investment objectives,
level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility
exists that you could sustain a loss of some or
all of your Investment and therefore you should
not invest money that you cannot afford to lose.
You should be aware of all the risks associated
with foreign exchange trading and seek advice
from an independent financial advisor if you have
any doubts.
Back to top |
CFD’s
Risk Disclosure
Suitability
of CFDs
CFDs are leveraged transactions, so profits and
losses can be substantial and sudden. Consequently,
they are only suitable for experienced or professional
investors. CFDs are traded principal to principal
with no centralized market quote. As such they
are deemed to be off-exchange or over-the-counter
(OTC) products and are not specifically covered
by any stock exchange rules.
CFDs are very flexible, geared instruments and
to be used successfully, an investor must have
a clear view of an expected price movement and
a well developed sense of the risk he is taking.
He should monitor his positions and use stop loss
and limit orders as risk management tools.
CFDs are regulated in the UK by the Financial
Services Authority (FSA) in accordance with the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. All CFD
transactions are reported daily to the FSA and
regulated firms must have sufficient financial
resources to support the volume of their CFD trading
at all times. Transactions with clients outside
the UK but within the European Union are approved
under the EU ISD passport scheme by local regulators.
Beneficial
Ownership
The agreement reached between the two trading
parties to a CFD is to exchange the profit or
loss on a stated transaction and does not involve
any exchange of ownership of the underlying asset.
As such the owner of the 'long' side of the transaction
based on an underlying equity has no voting rights
or any right to instruct the seller to act in
any particular manner, as in a takeover situation.
Transaction
Costs
The price at which an equity CFD trades is normally
that of the underlying equity and is subject to
the normal market conditions at the time of trade.
For example, the price may be different when dealing
in 1,000 as opposed to 100,000 shares. Clients
should normally expect to pay a commission to
IFX in line with the charge that would have been
applicable had the transaction taken place in
the underlying asset.
Securing
the Transaction
With the majority of derivative transactions the
settlement period can be several weeks from the
time of trade and in order to protect the integrity
of the market, clients are required to secure
their positions by posting margin. CFDs do not
have predetermined settlement dates and require
a collateral deposit to cover potential liabilities.
Margin
In order to protect the integrity of the market,
clients are required to post margin to cover potential
liabilities arising from price movement. Margin
is calculated on the underlying asset value for
equity CFDs; it is expressed as a percentage of
the value and the rate varies according to the
volatility of the market or the individual asset.
Margin for index future CFDs is quoted as a multiple
of the stake. As a guideline only, equity CFD
will typically require a margin of 10% - 20%,
while index future CFDs tend to require less,
due to their lower volatility. Cleared funds in
excess of the margin requirement are usually required
prior to dealing.
Marking
to market
Marking to market is a daily adjuaspent to the
margin requirement based on the movement in the
value of the underlying asset. Any shortfalls
in margin must be covered immediately. If they
are not the position may be closed irrespective
of the client's wishes. Margin deposits are required
in cleared funds, but mark-to-market excesses
or deficits are not credited or debited to the
ledger account until closure of the position.
Dividends
Following a purchase of an equity holding, an
investor is entitled to receive any dividends
paid by that company. Although not the beneficial
owner of the shares, a holder of a long CFD is
entitled to receive a cash sum similar to any
dividend declared by the company while the position
is held (less any tax or administration charges).
Conversely, the holder of a short CFD is required
to pay a sum equal to the gross dividend, irrespective
of whether he holds the underlying position. The
deciding date for the entitlement to a dividend
is the same as the ex-dividend date declared by
the underlying company.
Clients are advised to check the dates of any
impending dividends before entering into CFD positions.
Capital
Adjuaspents
As a CFD position reflects the exposure of either
a purchaser or seller of shares in an underlying
company it will also reflect any capital adjuaspents
or benefits announced by the company. Applying
the same formula used by the relevant exchange,
CFD terms will be altered to reflect any capital
adjuaspent. Any alteration will be on such terms
as deemed to be fair and equitable to both parties
to the transaction. Capital adjuaspents covered
include bonus, rights and warrant issues, and
amalgamation and sub-divisions of share capital.
With regard to takeover situations please refer
to the comments under the section headed Compulsory
Closing of Positions.
Closing
Positions
Any financial transaction is subject to the prevailing
market conditions at the time of trade. Any derivative
will relate to underlying market sentiment in
general and to a specific underlying instrument
in particular.
If a client has an open CFD position he can expect
to be able to close it at his discretion. The
price obtained will be governed by the circumstances
detailed above, but at the time of trade the price
should be broadly the same as that of the underlying
instrument.
Compulsory Closing
of Positions Normally, an equity CFD will remain
open until the holder decides to close the position.
However, there are certain circumstances under
which the position will be closed, irrespective
of the client's wishes.
Takeover of the
company underlying the CFD. At times, companies
on which CFDs are open will be subject to takeover
bids, either agreed or hostile. Positions in CFDs
may remain open or be opened during this time.
However, any open position will be closed out
at the prevailing market price one day prior to
the last day the shares are quoted in their existing
form.
The client's failure to meet any Margin requirements.
As previously explained, Margin is calculated
daily on a mark-to-market basis. If there is any
shortfall it must be covered on the same day as
the margin call. Failure to do so may result in
the position being closed at the prevailing market
price, irrespective of the client's view. Any
shortfall will be deducted from the Initial Margin
deposit and any resulting balance will be credited
to the client's account.
Settlement Services
Clear and concise account valuations are produced
on a daily basis or on demand intra-day as required.
We calculate a client's margin requirement on
the net value of the open positions on the account.
Daily account valuations in English are prepared
and transmitted to clients, by email or fax, from
approximately 7.00am central European time.
We offer our clients the full benefits of a 24-hour
back office, so wherever you are in the world,
whatever your time zone, you can contact us. Whether
you wish to check your account balance, order
statements or transfer funds, we are here to help
24 hours a day.
Our Back Office and Settlements Department can
be contacted continuously from 7.00am central
European time on Monday to 7.00am each Saturday.
Back to top |
Single
Stock Futures (SSF) Risk Disclosure
Trading security
futures contracts may not be suitable for all
investors. You may lose a substantial amount of
money in a very short period of time. The amount
you may lose is potentially unlimited and can
exceed the amount you originally deposit with
your broker. This is because futures trading is
highly leveraged, with a relatively small amount
of money used to establish a position in assets
having a much greater value. If you are uncomfortable
with this level of risk, you should not trade
security futures contracts.
Back to top |