This paper provides a detailed discussion of the similarities and differences between forward contracts and futures contracts. Under frictionless markets and continuous trading, simple arbitrage arguments are invoked to value forward contracts, to relate forward prices and spot prices, and to relate forward prices and futures prices. We also argue that forward prices need not equal futures prices unless default free interest rates are deterministic.

This paper develops a new distribution theory for common stock returns. The model is composed of a calendar time diffusion process and a jump process where the magnitudes of the jumps may be autocorrelated. Empirical tests are performed on a month of transactions returns for twenty New York Stock Exchange securities. The data analysis supports the validity of the proposed theory.