Speculation between proponents and opponents

Abstract EN

Speculation on prices is the essence of the stock market, the same as interest is the essence of the commercial banks business.

As such, the study of speculation should take priority to the elaborate study of contracts in the financial markets, e.g.

short selling, options, futures and margin-purchasing.

The paper reviews the opponent's, as well as the supporter's opinions of speculation, and concludes that speculation is a form of gambling, whereby a minority wins what the majority of investors lose.

This leads to departure of stock prices from the real value of the commodity or financial paper, thus precipitating price volatility.

Actually, commodities and financial papers are not the objective of speculation.

What is intended is profiting from stock prices differences.

So, the question arises whether it is advisable to prohibit deferred contracts so that the stock market is cleared from speculation, allowing real investment to prevail.