Learn what bond futures are and why traders and hedgers use them to manage
Bond futures are futures contracts whose value is linked to deliverable bonds or benchmark fixed-income instruments. They are used for hedging, speculation, and adjusting duration exposure in fixed-income portfolios.
The contracts matter because they let investors alter interest-rate exposure without buying or selling every underlying bond position. That can make hedging faster and cheaper, though the user still has to manage basis risk, delivery rules, and margin requirements.
A portfolio manager expecting rising yields might sell bond futures to reduce duration exposure without immediately liquidating the underlying bond portfolio.
A trader says, “Bond futures only matter to people who plan to take delivery of physical bonds.”
Answer: No. Many users care mainly about the contract’s rate exposure and never intend to take or make delivery.