What is Futures Trading and how does it work?

‍

Delve into the world of futures trading with the "Futures" course, a thorough educational series offered by Interactive Brokers and CME Group. This course is designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned investors, offering a broad spectrum of knowledge about securities and commodities futures. It's an invaluable resource for anyone looking to understand and engage in futures trading.
‍

Punti salienti del corso:

‍

• Introduzione ai futures: Questo modulo di base è perfetto per gli investitori alle prime armi con i futures e introduce i concetti chiave e gli strumenti di trading di TWS.
• Meccanica del mercato dei futures: Tratta argomenti essenziali come il rischio, il prezzo dei futures, il contango e la backwardation, le specifiche dei contratti e il margine dei futures.
• Trading di futures con TWS: Dimostra come gestire i contratti futures in TWS, compresa la creazione di spread futures e la gestione dei requisiti di margine.
• Analisi fondamentale dei futures: Spiega il processo di utilizzo dei dati micro e macroeconomici e delle condizioni del settore per determinare il modello di prezzo dei contratti futures.
• In-Depth Topics in Futures: The course delves into specific futures-related products, including equity index, energy, interest rate, FX, agricultural, and metal futures.
  ‍

I partecipanti a questo corso acquisiranno una comprensione completa del trading sui futures, dalle meccaniche di base del mercato dei futures ai concetti più avanzati dell'analisi fondamentale dei futures. Il corso è strutturato in modo da fornire una solida base di concetti sui futures, integrata da dimostrazioni pratiche con la piattaforma TWS. Sia che siate agli inizi o che vogliate approfondire le vostre conoscenze nel trading sui futures, questo corso offre gli strumenti e gli approfondimenti necessari per navigare efficacemente nel mercato dei futures.

‍

‍

FAQ

‍

1) What exactly is a futures contract and why trade it?

A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell something (like oil, wheat, or a stock index) at a set price on a future date. People trade futures to protect against price changes, to get quick exposure to a market, or to use leverage (controlling a large position with less money up front).

‍

2) How are futures priced (fair value and basis)?

The price of a future starts with today’s market price and adjusts for costs (like financing or storage) and income (like dividends). The “basis” is the difference between the futures price and today’s price, and this difference disappears when the contract expires.

‍

3) What do contango and backwardation imply for returns?

• Contango: when futures are more expensive than today’s price. This usually hurts long-term buyers because rolling into new contracts costs more.
• Backwardation: when futures are cheaper than today’s price. This can benefit buyers because rolling into new contracts costs less.

‍

4) How do margin and daily P&L work in futures?

To trade futures, you only need to deposit part of the contract value (margin). Each day your profit or loss is updated based on price moves. Because of leverage, gains and losses can be much larger, and if losses are too big, you may need to add more money or your position could be closed.

‍

5) How do I execute and manage futures in TWS?

In TWS you can place futures trades, build spread trades, and see how much margin is needed. The platform also helps manage expiring contracts, track risks, and analyze products across markets like stocks, energy, interest rates, currencies, agriculture, and metals.

‍

‍