Commodities Futures
Indicative Commodities prices from Finspreads:
Click on the tabs to see the various commodities, forex and stock market index prices.
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Commodities Futures Analysis and News
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| 23-May-13 |
[4:17pm] A stronger dollar is taking a heavy toll on crude oil today, in both its Brent and US crude formats.
This only serves to illustrate the irony of the situation still further; US economic data is getting better, yet the life-blood of the American economy, crude oil, is dropping in price.
Such is the madness that QE has wrought upon the market.
Meanwhile gold and silver are rising modestly, their current gyrations for once outshined by the volatility in equity markets.
Update by Rupert Osborne, Futures Dealer, 
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| 23-May-13 |
[3:56pm] Copper prices have tumbled today, after hitting a six-week high yesterday, on this morning's weaker than expected Chinese HSBC manufacturing PMI, once again raising concern about the weak nature of the latest rebound in the Chinese economy.
Oil prices have continued their declines for the third day in a row on both Brent and WTI as economic data continues to point to reduced demand against a backdrop of high inventories.
Gold on the other hand rather perversely is higher on the day, despite speculation about potential Fed tapering in the coming month, as investors once more use the yellow metal for a bit of safe haven buying.
Update by Michael Hewson, Senior Market Analyst, 
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| 23-May-13 |
[7:38am] After the close of Wall Street, WTI Crude Future (JUL 13) was down $2 to $94.18.
The contract was below its 20DMA (@ $94.76) and above its 50DMA (@ $93.75).
The US DoE reported that, for the week ended 17 May, crude oil inventories fell 338k barrels compared to the previous week.
Gold was down $6.7 to $1369.7. The precious metal was below its 20DMA (@ $1436) and below its 50DMA (@ $1495).
Copper Future (JUL 13) on Comex was up 2.4c to 336.7c/lb.
The contract was above its 20DMA (@ 327.04c) and above its 50DMA (@ 334.28c).
The London Metal Exchange reported its copper inventories increased 2750 tons to 627275 tons.
Update by 
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For more also see Daily Commodities Trading Analysis & News.
This content is for information purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation to trade. Nothing on this website should be construed as investment advice.
Unless stated otherwise, the above time is based on when we receive the data (London time). All reasonable efforts have been made to present accurate information. The above is not meant to form an exhaustive guide. Neither CleanFinancial.com nor any contributing company/author accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the above or for the correctness or accuracy of the information provided.
Commodities Futures Comparison |
A price comparison table for the most popular commodities futures markets.
| Gold Daily - Spread Size |
4 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
| Gold Daily - Min Stake |
£1 |
$0.60 |
£1 |
£0.1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
| Gold Futures - Spread Size |
6 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
14 |
| Gold Futures - Min Stake |
£1 |
$0.60 |
£1 |
£0.1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
| Brent Crude Oil Futures - Spread Size |
4 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
| Brent Crude Oil Futures - Min Stake |
£1 |
$2 |
£1 |
£0.5 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
| US Crude Oil Futures - Spread Size |
4 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
| US Crude Oil Futures - Min Stake |
£1 |
$2 |
£1 |
£0.5 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
Comparison Notes.
This table is not meant to be inclusive, daily commodities and commodities futures markets may be available through other companies.
Where to Trade Commodities Futures |
Investors can speculate on a range of commodities futures like gold, crude oil, sugar and coffee with these spread trading firms:
Financial Spreads » "With FinancialSpreads.com you get all the advantages of
Spread Trading as well as commission free CFD Trading on 2,500+ markets, 24 hour trading, professional level charts and..." read
Financial Spreads review.
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Where to Trade Commodities Futures for Free? |
Futures trading is never risk free, however, if you want to open a free Practice Account, where you can try spread trading / trading the futures markets, then please see below for more details.
When you start to research which investment options are right for you, don't forget that in the UK, financial spread trading is tax free*, i.e. it's currently exempt from capital gains tax, income tax and stamp duty.
If you are looking for a free futures trading platform then you should keep in mind that the following firms offer futures markets but do not charge any commissions or brokers' fees:
If you're looking for a free Test Account that lets users practice trading the commodity markets including crude oil, gold, natural gas, wheat, sugar, coffee etc., then look at:
Each of the brokers listed above offer a Test Account that lets investors try out new trading theories. The Test Accounts also give users access to professional level charts.
Where to Find Live Commodities Futures Prices and Charts |
The live CFD futures chart and prices below will offer users a good overview of the commodity markets.
You can use the search option below to access live futures charts for:
- Energy Futures: US crude oil‡, heating oil and natural gas
- Metal Futures: gold, copper, palladium, platinum and silver
- Agricultural Futures: corn, cotton and soybeans
‡ Readers should note that the 'crude oil' market is US crude oil rather than UK crude oil.
The Plus500 chart typically tracks the 'front month' futures market.
To review live spread trading prices and charts for the commodities futures markets, you will normally need a spread trading account.
Note that a spreads account is tax-free* and also gives you access to the shorter-term spot prices. Readers should note that new accounts are subject to status, suitability and credit checks.
If you apply for an account (and it's approved) then you should be able to log on and check the real time charts and prices. Accessing this data is usually free.
If you want to trade then you should note that CFD trading and financial spread trading carry a high degree of risk to your capital and losses could exceed your initial deposit.
Advanced Charts for Trading Commodities Futures |
Although the charting packages tend to vary between firms, to help your technical analysis of the commodities markets, most charts usually come with handy tools and features, including:
- Technical indicators and overlays such as Moving Averages, MACD, TSI, RSI etc.
- An array of time intervals such as 1 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute, 1 hour, 2 hour, 1 week etc.
- Drawing options and tools such as Fibonacci arcs, time zones and fans
- A variety of display styles such as bar, candlestick and line charts
The charts with Tradefair also include other benefits such as:
- Email notifications for when the markets reach a pre-determined price
- Back Testing, Analysis and Optimisation functions
Typical commodities futures chart
The following futures brokers provide their clients with access to live prices and charts:
Commodities Futures Guides |
For individual guides to the various commodities futures markets also see:
Metals Futures:
Energies Futures:
Agriculturals / Softs Futures
How to Trade Commodities - Gold Futures |
As with a number of metals markets, you can speculate on gold futures to rise or fall.
If you go to Financial Spreads, you can see that they are currently pricing the gold December futures market at $1,757.3 - $1,757.9. This means you can speculate on gold:
 Closing above $1,757.9, or
 Closing below $1,757.3
On the expiry date for this 'December' market, 27-Nov-12.
With spread trading, you trade gold in £x per $0.1. So, if you decide to stake £3 per $0.1 and gold moves $2.7 then that would make a difference to your profit/loss of £81. £3 per $0.1 x $2.7 = £81.
Gold Futures Trading Example |
Continuing with the above spread of $1,757.3 - $1,757.9, let's make the assumptions:
- You have researched the precious metals market, and
- You think that the gold market will finish above $1,757.9 by 27-Nov-12
If so, you could decide to go long of the market at $1,757.9 and risk, let's say, £2 per $0.1.
With this trade you make a profit of £2 for every $0.1 that the price of gold moves higher than $1,757.9. Nevertheless, this trade also means that you will make a loss of £2 for every $0.1 that gold falls below $1,757.9.
Or, in other words, when you 'Buy' a market, your P&L is calculated by taking the difference between the closing price of the market and the opening price you bought the market at. You then multiply that price difference by the stake.
As a result, if, on the expiry date, gold closed at $1,763.2, then:
Profit = (Closing Level - Opening Level) x stake
Profit = ($1,763.2 - $1,757.9) x £2 per $0.1
Profit = $5.3 x £2 per $0.1
Profit = £106 profit
Trading the precious metals market is rarely that simple. In the above example, you wanted the price of the commodity to rise, of course it could fall.
If the price of the metal fell and the market closed lower at $1,751.7, then you would end up making a loss.
Loss = (Closing Level - Opening Level) x stake
Loss = ($1,751.7 - $1,757.9) x £2 per $0.1
Loss = -$6.2 x £2 per $0.1
Loss = -£124 loss
Note: Gold December futures market quoted as of 27-Sep-12.
How to Trade Commodities - Crude Oil Futures |
As with the gold example above, you can also speculate on energies futures.
Two of the most popular energies markets are Brent crude oil futures and US crude oil futures, in this example we will talk through the latter market.
If we log on to Capital Spreads, we can see that they are offering the US crude oil November futures market at $90.97 - $91.02. This means you can speculate on the price of US crude oil:
Closing above $91.02, or
Closing below $90.97
On the settlement date for this 'November' market, 17-Oct-12.
With spread trading, you trade US crude oil in £x per $0.01. As a result, if you want to trade £2 per $0.01 and the US crude oil market moves $0.40 then that would alter your P&L by £80. £2 per $0.01 x $0.40 = £80.
US Crude Oil Futures Trading Example |
So, continuing with the above spread of $90.97 - $91.02, let's make the assumptions:
- You have done your research of the energies markets
- You think the oil price will remain strong and it will close above $91.02 by 17-Oct-12
If so, then you could buy the market at $91.02 and trade, for example, £3 per $0.01.
With this trade you make a profit of £3 for every $0.01 that the price of US crude moves higher than $91.02. Having said that, it also means you will lose £3 for every $0.01 that the US crude market drops below the $91.02 level.
Put another way, if you 'Buy' a market then your profits (or losses) are calculated by taking the difference between the expiry price of the market and the price you bought the market at. You then multiply that difference in price by the stake.
With that in mind, if, on the closing date, US crude closed at $91.50, then:
P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = ($91.50 - $91.02) x £3 per $0.01
P&L = $0.48 x £3 per $0.01
P&L = £144 profit
Trading any commodities futures market is difficult. With this example, you wanted the oil price to increase, of course, the oil market could fall.
If US crude had fallen and closed lower at $90.59, you would end up making a loss.
P&L = (Closing Price - Opening Price) x stake
P&L = ($90.59 - $91.02) x £3 per $0.01
P&L = -$0.43 x £3 per $0.01
P&L = -£129 loss
Note: US crude oil November futures price quoted as of 27-Sep-12.
Financial Spreads » "With FinancialSpreads.com you get all the advantages of
Spread Trading as well as commission free CFD Trading on 2,500+ markets, 24 hour trading, professional level charts and..." read
Financial Spreads review.
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Where Can I Find a Commodities Futures Platform/Software? |
With a few spread trading firms you need to download and install their software onto your computer. Having said that, most providers offer web-based platforms so that you only need the internet to access the commodities trading platform.
The brokers shown in the 'commodities prices and charts section' above all have web-based platforms where you can trade commodities futures.
Risk Warning: CFD trading and spread trading carry a high level of risk to your capital and you may lose more than your initial investment. CFD trading and spread trading may not be suitable for all investors. Only speculate with money that you can afford to lose. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice where necessary.
'Commodities Futures' by DB, updated 08-May-13
For related pages also see:
Commodities Futures, updated 08-May-13
Commodities futures trading guide with live commodities futures prices and charts. Plus, where to trade commodities futures, how to trade commodities futures, tax free* futures trading and...read article: Commodities Futures.
Gold Futures, updated 08-May-13
Gold futures trading guide with live gold futures prices and charts. Plus, where to trade gold futures, how to trade gold futures, tax free* futures trading and...read article: Gold Futures.
Crude Oil Futures, updated 08-May-13
Crude oil futures trading guide with live crude oil futures prices and charts. Plus, where to trade oil futures, how to trade crude oil futures, tax free* futures trading and...read article: Crude Oil Futures.
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