What are futures?

What are 'Futures'. Futures are financial contracts obligating the buyer to purchase an asset or the seller to sell an asset, such as a physical commodity or a financial instrument, at a predetermined future date and price. Futures contracts detail the quality and quantity of the underlying asset; they are standardized to facilitate trading on...

What is futures speculation?

Futures Speculation. If market participants anticipate an increase in the price of an underlying asset in the future, they could potentially gain by purchasing the asset in a futures contract and selling it later at a higher price on the spot market or profiting from the favorable price difference through cash settlement.

How do investors trade futures?

Investors can trade futures to speculate or hedge on the price direction of a security, commodity, or financial instrument. To do this, traders purchase a futures contract, which is a legal agreement to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future.

Are futures derivatives?

Yes, futures are derivatives as they derive their value from an underlying asset. For example, the price of energy fuel rises based on the price of crude oil. Thus, in this case, energy fuel is a derivative whose price varies with the cost of crude oil, which is the underlying asset.