A cash-settled, short-term forward contract on a thinly traded or non-convertible foreign currency, where the profit or loss at the time at the settlement date is calculated by taking the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the spot rate at the time of settlement, for an agreed upon notional amount of funds.

|||
All NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement date. The fixing date is the date at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement date is the date by which the payment of the difference is due to the party receiving payment.

NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods of one month up to one year, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars. They have become a popular instrument for corporations seeking to hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded.