Futures Trading Part I

Back by popular demand! The recent intraday volatility has been a huge reason to day trade futures. In fact, this is why more people flock towards day trading e-minis as opposed to index options. Index options have the enormous spreads, time value, and implied volatility. E-minis have none.

Note: Futures trading is not for everyone obviously. In fact most futures traders will tell you that you ought to have a pretty sizable chunk of change in your account, and that you trade very small. You also should attempt to develop a system. If you are a discretionary trader, futures trading will be the end of you.

Here is a description on what futures trading is...

Futures are contractual agreements made between two parties through a regulated futures exchange. The parties agree to buy or sell an asset - livestock, a foreign currency, or some other item - at a certain time in the future at a mutually agreed upon price. Each futures contract specifies the quantity and quality of the item, expiration month, the time of delivery and virtually all the details of the transaction except price, which the two parties negotiate based on current market conditions. Some futures contracts call for the actual, physical delivery of the underlying commodity or financial instrument at contract termination. Others simply call for a cash settlement at contract termination. Generally, however, market participants do not hold their futures contracts until termination but rather offset futures contracts they have bought ("gone long") by a subsequent sale; or, offset futures contracts they have sold ("gone short") by a subsequent purchase.

In broadest terms, futures are about anticipated future prices of basic commodities and financial instruments, based on current information. Futures are concerned with such questions as what will the price of cattle be next December? What will interest rates be in six months? How much will a euro be worth in May?

Because commodity prices are constantly changing, virtually all businesses face ongoing price risk. Meat processors face risk from fluctuating cattle prices, lenders from changing interest rates, and international businesses from varying currency rates. All these businesses can use futures to help manage their exposure to price risk.

Futures contracts – price agreements – are bought and sold in what is basically a marketplace of opportunity for two symbiotic groups: hedgers, who seek to offset price risk, and speculators, who try to make a profit from favorable price fluctuations. Hedgers are typically businesses and financial institutions who buy and sell futures contracts seeking to “lock in” future prices for commodities that are essential to their business operations. Speculators are a diverse group that includes day traders, financial institutions such as banks and hedge funds, and arbitragers. These groups are brought together at a futures exchange, which provides a venue where their orders may interact on a trading floor or a computer network, and where price agreements can be negotiated.

Traders’ decisions generally aren’t random, but are based on a synthesis of a great deal of data and a variety of different strategies. Some people make trading decisions based on fundamental analysis of the forces of supply and demand in a commodity market (“fundamental analysis”); others trade based on an analysis of market trends and price chart patterns (“technical analysis”).

Because futures prices represent the aggregate of all available information that may affect the market, they are viewed as reflecting a process of “price discovery.” Prices change constantly in response to numerous factors, ranging from weather and wars to political decisions and popular trends. The futures markets assimilate that information and provide a means of determining the price above which buyers will not buy and below which sellers will not sell – the “equilibrium” price – where the supply to be sold and the demand to buy are in balance. The price of futures and the underlying cash markets on which futures are based tend to come together or “converge” by contract expiration. The price of a futures contract at expiration and the cash (“spot”) price of the underlying asset must be the same, because both refer to the same asset are basically equivalent, because both prices refer to the same asset.

Before I move into the segment "Part II" which will discuss contract specifications and ticker symbols, etc...I need to get home and pack. I'm catching a plane to San Jose to go watch the regional finals. Go KU!

Recommendation: I'll be posting tomorrow since I will still be trading tomorrow morning. Catch me then?

Long: Live option addicts!

Phew!! I'm going to have read that one a few times.

Sarah

Jeff,

was that you who rang the buzzer early on Julian's dunk?

what a nailbiter that game was. You got to see a great one!

Hi Jeff,

Im an Investools student and I was a fan of running "Bollinger Squeeze" search from time to time that you devised back on the old website. Problem is that it is not on the new site plus I cannot input the criteria to match the way you set it up. Any chance you can check it out and possibly tell what I am doing wrong?

I have "Volume Ratio 3/30 Day - In Between - Minimum 150" as the first criteria and "Bollinger Bands - Relative Range 12 months - In Between - Minimum 1 - Maximum 20." I am not getting the same results as the old website...

Thanks in advance if you can help dude - it is much appreciated.

Stephen

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

Your Futures Part I was outstanding. I trade them, and couldn't have explained it better. That's why you're you and I'm me...

Haven't posted in a while but I thought I'd throw up a trade that one of our user group members found today... BOBJ (stop laughing). thinking about puts, and thought I'd throw it out to the wolves to get your input! It just seems like a great rounded top pattern with a move clearly through support, and a pull back to new resistance?

any opinions?

lisa

Anyone else take the symmetrical triangle reversal on IMCL from Monday?

Notice the volume ramp up right into today's announcement from AMGN. Gee, you think this info leaked a little early????

Dang Brett,
Did not have IMCL on my radar...

BNI having a strong start this morning...

Thanks for that post, Jeff. I've been wanting to learn more about futures. Looking forward to Part II.

What does anyone think about the 52-wk breakout & retest on XTO?

Trent
Dallas, Texas

Post a Comment
...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT... ...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT...I'M AN OPTION ADDICT...

About me

  • I'm Option Addict
  • From Saratoga Springs, Utah, United States
  • I am a professional trader and an instructor for Investools. I've had relations with the markets for 9 years. Born in Concord, CA, but reside in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Father of THREE, Husband of one.
My profile

Prescriptions Here!

Other stuff

Blogarama - 
The Blog Directory
Directory of 
Finance/Business Blogs Finance 
blogs Top Blogs Finance Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory