A futures contract with a provision permitting the contract holder to convey his or her rights of assignment to a third party. This enables the contract holder to assign the rights and obligations of a contract to another to perform and receive the benefits of that contract before it closes.
Investopedia Says:
For example, if an investor holds a futures contract and the holder finds that the security has appreciated by 1% at or before the contract is closed, then the contract holder may decide to assign the contract to a third party for the appreciated amount, thus making a profit on the contract before it even closes.
Not all futures contacts have this provision. In fact, most exchange traded contracts are not assignable.
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For those who are new to futures but want a solid understanding of them, this tutorial explains what futures contracts are, how they work and why investors use them. Futures Fundamentals
