Derivatives markets have grown rapidly in recent years to play a crucial role in the management and intermediation of risk by the financial system. But obtaining useful information about derivatives activity poses a number of difficulties. This article focuses primarily on over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives. It outlines the main accounting problems they raise, explains current initiatives to encourage firms to disclose information about their derivatives business and describes recent steps to improve the aggregate statistics available on OTC derivatives markets.
Statistical information about derivatives markets