Overview
The BFX has been established and designed to offer market participants the ability to list and trade products in both the conventional and Islamic finance markets. As part of the BFX multi-asset ethos and core values the Exchange creates the widest possible access to financial products, which have been developed to meet the needs of a demanding market.
Being based in Bahrain and serving the Middle East and North African markets the BFX is ideally placed to meet market demand for Shariah-compliant products and services. The Islamic financial market is currently estimated to have a value of approximately US$2 trillion, and considerable opportunities for growth and innovation exist in this sector. The Exchange operates two separate platforms, one conventional and one Shariah-compliant, to meet the needs of participants who wish to trade one or both of these markets.
The BFX platform for multi-asset class trading offers market participants the ability to trade multiple asset classes on one market. The BFX product portfolio is split into three main categories:
- Cash Instruments
- Derivatives Instruments
- Shariah-compliant Financial Instruments
| Cash Instruments |
Equities, bonds, notes, certificates of deposit, depository receipts, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Commodities (ETCs), Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) |
| Derivatives Instruments |
Swaps, futures, options and swaptions.
Underlying can be commodities, currencies, equities, financial instruments or indices |
| Shariah-Compliant Financial Instruments |
Equities, Sukuk, Murabaha, Wakala, Islamic Options, Islamic Repo, Islamic ETFs, Islamic REITs. |