IFRS 9 — Financial Instruments

Overview:

All financial instruments are initially measured at fair value plus or minus, in the case of a financial asset or financial liability not at fair value through profit or loss, transaction costs.

Objective:

IFRS 9 divides all financial assets that are currently in the scope of IAS 39 into two classifications - those measured at amortized cost and those measured at fair value.

Where assets are measured at fair value, gains and losses are either recognized entirely in profit or loss (fair value through profit or loss, FVTPL), or recognized in other comprehensive income (fair value through other comprehensive income, FVTOCI).

For debt instruments the FVTOCI classification is mandatory for certain assets unless the fair value option is elected. Whilst for equity investments, the FVTOCI classification is an election. Furthermore, the requirements for reclassifying gains or losses recognized in other comprehensive income are different for debt instruments and equity investments.