Defining financial instruments

The following are classified as financial instruments: 

• transferable securities (e.g. shares in joint stock companies and private limited companies, bonds and other non-equity securities); 
• money market instruments (e.g. treasury bills);
• securities of collective investment undertakings (e.g. units of investment funds); 
• derivatives (e.g. options, futures, swaps, forwards, financial contracts for differences (CFDs)).

Foreign exchange spot contracts and cryptocurrencies are not classified as financial instruments.