Which financial tool represents an obligation to pay a specific amount at a future date?

The correct answer is a bond, which is a financial tool representing an obligation to pay a specific amount at a future date. When an entity, such as a government or corporation, issues a bond, it borrows money from investors with the promise to repay the principal amount on a designated maturity date while making periodic interest payments along the way. This characteristic of fixed future payments solidifies its nature as a debt instrument, making it distinct from other financial instruments.

In contrast, shares and stock options are forms of equity and derivatives, respectively, which do not entail a repayment obligation at a future date. Shares represent ownership in a company, entitling the shareholder to dividends and potential capital gains but without a guaranteed payment structure. Stock options grant the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a stock at a specified price within a certain period, again lacking a fixed payment future obligation.

Similarly, futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price at a future date, but they operate based on the future price expectations of specific commodities or financial instruments, rather than a fixed repayment of a specific amount like a bond does. Thus, bonds uniquely fulfill the criteria of obligating repayment of a specific sum at a defined future time.