Futures, Commodities, & Options

The derivatives markets have exploded in popularity, trading volume, and complexity over the years, providing more investing and trading choices than ever before. Whether making a directional bet, volatility play, or hedging risk, derivatives allow you to calibrate every position to maximize profit and minimize risk. Learn powerful analysis methods, diverse trade set-ups, and execution techniques from top professional investors and traders.

Articles on Futures, Commodities, & Options

(Sponsored Content) I don’t know about you. But I, for one, am sick and tired of hearing supposedly responsible individuals state that debt does not matter. It does. That’s why you have to protect your assets, writes Rich Checkan, president and COO of Asset Strategies International.
Gold miners lagging the price of gold is a compelling buying opportunity. Gold equities provide leverage to the gold price, as a large percentage of gold miners’ total costs are fixed costs. Therefore, as the price of gold goes up, gold miners’ profits and cash flow should increase at a higher rate than the price of the underlying bullion price, advises Matthew Miller, analyst at CFRA Research.
(Sponsored Content) New York spot gold eased 0.8% to hold above $2,370 recently, despite downticks in yields and the dollar as traders took profits from its record run. The gold price rose in 18 winning sessions over a 21-session stretch, gaining more than 10% during that span. Silver was nearly flat, adding less than 0.1% to finish at $28.40 an ounce, writes Bill Musgrave with Dana Samuelson, vice president and president, American Gold Exchange Inc.
Within the mining sector, royalty companies and streamers do not operate mines directly, but invest in mines in return for a percentage of the output or the right to purchase the mined metals at below-market prices, explains Doug Gerlach, editor of SmallCap Informer.
Stocks continue to mostly mark time ahead of key inflation data coming out tomorrow. Meanwhile, gold and silver are rallying again, with the former hitting another record high of $2,375 an ounce before easing back. Crude oil, Treasuries, and the dollar are mostly flat.
I’ve covered the gold market and talked about it to investors and media for the better part of 40 years, but I’ve never recommended the metal as urgently as I am now. There are three simple and compelling reasons: Debt…debt…and more debt, advises Brien Lundin, editor of Gold Newsletter.
There was no further escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel at the weekend, which saw crude oil and gold prices drop in early Asia trade overnight, states Fawad Razaqzada of Trading Candles.
Wall Street wants you to focus on how many times the Fed will cut rates this year even though economic data is coming in stronger than expected. Meanwhile, gold set six straight record highs to close over $2,300 recently for the first time ever, exclaims Michael Murphy, editor at New World Investor.
I just returned from a 10-day Forbes cruise in Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam) and am suffering some jet lag. But I have to ask: Who would have thought that on April 1, 2024, following a two-year, tight-money policy, two major foreign wars, and reckless deficit spending, we would witness new highs in both stocks and gold? I like the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and Global X Uranium Fund (URA) here, observes Mark Skousen, editor of Forecasts & Strategies.
Two weeks ago, I attended and spoke on a panel at the spring edition of the Swiss Mining Institute investment conference. This year we were witnessing all-time highs in gold prices. I was asked if I thought this was finally going to be a true breakout for precious metals. As always, I gave my honest opinion, saying that I don’t know for certain, but believe it is. So why haven’t silver prices really rallied…yet? Here’s my take, recounts Peter Krauth, editor of Silver Stock Investor.

Experts on Futures, Commodities, & Options


Virtual Expos

Virtual Learning

Stock markets are overvalued, and a recession is looming. Precious metals are breaking out. Silver’s uses in solar panels, EVs, and even AI applications make it the “new oil.” But its price has major catching up to do. Silver will be the next uranium, which doubled in six months causing uranium stocks to soar. Now is the time to get positioned in silver and silver stocks. 

Index options have grown in popularity among many retail investors who have discovered their unique characteristics. Join Moomoo Technologies VP of Strategy Justin Zacks as he explains how investors may be using index options in their trading strategies. He will discuss the differences in settlement, style, tax treatment, and underlying securities between index options and other types of options.

Join thought leaders from NEOS Investments and Nasdaq to understand the evolution of options-based products and pairing tax efficiency with income generation, as well as break down the complexity of yield. 

Let’s face it—not all stock buys end up winners. Thankfully, due to the versatility of options, there is a strategy designed to potentially recoup some of these losses without additional costs or taking on additional risks. Join OIC instructor Mark Benzaquen as he dissects and discusses the Stock Repair strategy in this lively and engaging virtual session designed for learners of all levels. 

Gary Kaltbaum will show you exactly where you need to be in the markets as well as what to avoid. It is in these chart patterns that he will show you the definable uptrends and downtrends. What is emerging? What is submerging? 

Now a quarter into the new year it's already time to update the market outlook. The investing playbook that worked so well in 2023 has to be thrown out. We need to focus on these new leaders to enjoy superior results. That is why 43-year investment veteran, Steve Reitmeister, details a trading plan and top picks to outperform the remainder of the year. 

Join Lawrence G. McMillan where he will discuss the current state of his option-oriented indicators and what they are saying about the stock market plus several seasonal trades that are about to occur. He will also discuss various historical patterns, including the following topics:  the performance of $SPX, what the option markets are saying, upcoming seasonal trades, and much, much more. 

By many measures, index-option volatility is at its lowest levels in years. What does that mean for your trading and forward-looking risk? 

Tune in to hear MoneyShow Editor-in-Chief Mike Larson discuss the Parking Vault concept and how investors can participate in the firm’s opportunity with CEO Cole McDowell. 

This session will review Crossmark’s/Bob Doll’s ten predictions for 2024 related to the economy and investment markets. 

Conferences


Cruises



The growth of financial futures has been one of the most remarkable success stories in the markets. Their age is relatively green at just a little over 50 years old. Originally created to help farmers hedge against price changes between crop planting and harvesting, futures have grown since then to include interest rates, foreign exchange, metals, energy, weather, and even Bitcoin.

Whether trading agricultural commodities, energy futures, metals, stock indexes, or even the softs; futures provide the best bang for your buck. But leverage is a two-sided blade. In this section, MoneyShow.com trading experts provide a deep dive into the current futures market activity and price action to help you find ways to strengthen your portfolio, while mitigating risk and exploiting opportunities in these diverse markets.

Discover unique and critical futures trading strategies to help you generate more consistent profits and better manage your portfolio risk. From in-depth futures market economics to spread trading, you will take away new knowledge to help you better identify trading opportunities. Our contributors will share with you their time-tested commodities investing strategies and futures trading strategies. The insights you will learn will help you in your investing or trading with market intelligence that you cannot find elsewhere.

At the same time, the opportunities now available to individual traders in the option arena are astounding, having exploded in volume and complexity in recent years, offering option traders the ability to trade, hedge, or speculate in just about any stock, ETF, or commodity.

Our goal in these pages is to start you down the path of options trading and help you avoid many of the pitfalls that beginning options traders experience. Some of the top names in trading will familiarize you with options—what they are, how they work, and what opportunities they present. You’ll learn practical knowledge about when it is appropriate to buy/sell puts or calls, covered-call writing strategies, and advice on when to use each of these strategies. More experienced traders will learn profitable options trading strategies to help you make more money and better manage your portfolio risk.