If the contract buyers use the underlying product, they use forward and futures contracts to eliminate market risk.
Say you are a manufacturer of breakfast cereal who will use 500,000 bushels of corn this year. If you buy corn only on the spot market, you have two worries: what the price will be when you need it, and whether there will be that much corn on the market this year. But by purchasing futures contracts you know what it will cost and when it will arrive.
If you're a farmer you'll use a forward contract to set the sale price of your corn, usually before you turn the key on your tractor to plant the new crop.
Commodity brokers specializing in futures and options trading offer charts, futures quotes,options prices, news, margin rates and advice. A firm or individual who trades for his own account is called a trader. Commodity contracts include futures, options, and similar financial derivatives.
The seasonal nature of many commodities would lead to wide variation in supply and price without these contracts.
Some examples of discount commodity brokers are companies such as Trade Station, Interactive Brokers Group, Express Futures, Generic Trade, and ProActive Futures.
This industry classification includes establishments primarily engaged in buying and selling commodity contracts (futures) on either a spot or future basis for their own account or for the account of others
Futures contracts remain valid even if the original parties to the contract sell the rights.
They can be bought and sold but the obligation in the contract remains valid.
Futures contracts and forward contracts are used to eliminate uncertainty in the commodities markets by locking in a price on a good to be delivered at a later date. Okay, a quick example follows: I make cookies and you grow wheat. Wheat is a liquid commodity in that the price changes all the time. I know that and so do you, so I go to you before you plant and offer you $7 per bushel for your whole harvest when it comes in, and you accept. This is a forward contract--a futures contract would have volume and time requirements you might not be able to meet. The risk to you is that wheat might be selling on the open market for $8 per bushel at harvest time and to me the risk is that it might be selling for $6. The other side of that is, if it's selling for $8 I'm going to be in trouble without this contract, and if it's selling for $6 then you are. But at $7 we are both getting a fair deal.
If the contract buyers use the underlying product, they use forward and futures contracts to eliminate market risk. Say you are a manufacturer of breakfast cereal who will use 500,000 bushels of corn this year. If you buy corn only on the spot market, you have two worries: what the price will be when you need it, and whether there will be that much corn on the market this year. But by purchasing futures contracts you know what it will cost and when it will arrive. If you're a farmer you'll use a forward contract to set the sale price of your corn, usually before you turn the key on your tractor to plant the new crop.
Derivative instruments are classified as: Forward Contracts Futures Contracts Options Swaps
Similarities:1. Both are derivative securities for future delivery/receipt. Agree on P and Q today for future settlement or delivery in 1 week to 10 years.2. Both are used to hedge currency risk, interest rate risk or commodity price risk.3. In principal they are very similar, used to accomplish the same goal of risk management.Differences:1. Forward contracts are private, customized contracts between a bank and its clients (MNCs, exporters, importers, etc.) depending on the client's needs. There is no secondary market for forward contracts since it is a private contractual agreement, like most bank loans (vs. bond).2. Forward contracts are settled at expiration, futures contracts are continually settled, daily settlement.3. Most (90%) of forward contracts are settled with delivery/receipt of the asset. Most futures contracts (99%) are settled with cash, NOT the commodity/asset.4. Futures markets have daily price limits.
Trading commodities is done with a commodity broker. Check with the firm to be sure if they can trade commodities. Commodities brokers are required to be licensed by the National Futures Association.
Joseph R. Maxwell has written: 'Commodity futures trading with moving averages' -- subject(s): Commodity futures, Speculation 'Commodity futures trading with stops' -- subject(s): Commodity futures, Commodity exchanges