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

In this episode, Larry McDonald joins the MoneyShow MoneyMasters Podcast to discuss what he calls the "Great Migration" of capital from tech and growth stocks into hard assets. The founder of The Bear Traps Report explains why the traditional 60/40 portfolio is failing – and why investors should consider a significant allocation to commodities like gold, silver, base metals, and energy.
As we’ve often discussed, gold is absolutely the best investment to own during uncertain times like we’re currently experiencing. We’ve already seen the huge rise it’s had in recent years and it has a lot further to go on the upside, write Mary Anne and Pamela Aden, editors of The Aden Forecast.
Everyone’s focused on fuel costs. But you might want to pay closer attention to FOOD. The price of agricultural commodities is perking up – and the longer the Middle East conflict goes on, the greater the impact could be.
Crude keeps climbing, with benchmark prices up another 5% or so recently. Gold and silver are pulling back along with Treasuries, while equities are flattish and the dollar is up.
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is consolidating its position in the Central Lapland region of Finland with three related transactions. The acquisitions are in line with Agnico’s oft-stated strategy to be a dominant, long-term player in a small number of low-risk jurisdictions, advises Adrian Day, editor of Global Analyst.
Gold has pulled back from its all-time highs but remains elevated, trading well above $4,500 an ounce. In the first quarter it was even higher, which means record free cash flows for most of the miners again. Newmont Corp. (NEM) has beat five quarters in a row, highlights Tracey Ryniec, senior stock strategist at Zacks Investment Research.
China just announced that starting next month, it will halt exports of sulfuric acid — a key input for global copper production. That is just the latest force lining up to push copper prices higher. A good way to play it is the Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX), suggests Sean Brodrick, editor at Weiss Rating Daily.
With gold, it’s all a matter of perspective. Even if we pull back short term, it’s obvious that gold (and therefore silver and the miners) are still firmly in recovery mode after the steep correction precipitated by the US attack on Iran, advises Brien Lundin, executive editor of Gold Newsletter.
Franco-Nevada Corp. (FNV) just held its annual investor day. The company laid out its strengths, including consistent returns, disciplined capital management, financial flexibility, and its adaptable approach, highlights Adrian Day, editor of Global Analyst.
Volatility continues to be elevated both in terms of realized and implied. The CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) and the equity-only put-call ratios began to rise well in advance of the current market decline, and they are still advancing, explains Lawrence McMillan, editor of Option Strategist.

Experts on Futures, Commodities, & Options


Virtual Expos

Virtual Learning

Not all options expire the same way. In today’s market, especially with the growth of short-dated and 0DTE products, the structural differences between American-style and European-style options matter more than ever. This session breaks down how exercise rights, settlement mechanics, and expiration timing can materially impact risk, assignment, and post-close exposure.

We’ll cover: The key structural differences between American-style and European-style options

How exercise and assignment risk manifests in equity and ETF options

Why expiration mechanics matter in short-duration trading environments

The role of settlement timing, after-hours price movement, and operational risk

Practical risk considerations for traders navigating weekly and 0DTE expirations 

Do you ever worry about whether the stocks/ETFs that you own will tumble into oblivion if the market tanks? Do you ever ask yourself, “Should I get out of the market now?” or “How much longer should I hold onto a losing position?” or “Is now the time to buy or sell or sell short?” or “Will the war in Iran tank the market and my stocks along with it?”

What if we told you there is a way (a well-defined way) to know when to be in or out of the market and never again have to worry about what the market, the economy, or what Trump is going to do next? Attend this webinar, and Mike Turner will show you exactly how to never worry about the future market again!

Options trading has evolved alongside the sophistication of today's investors. Given the broad exposure of the reference asset, index options are uniquely powerful and flexible tools. Understand how investors are using index options to potentially capitalize on today's market.

• Get a roadmap of how he sees the market topping out - and where he expects the next bear market to take us.

• See why Avi believes we are likely coming to the end of a long-term cycle in both the equity and metals markets.

A summary of the rapid recent growth in international Critical Mineral requirements and the powerful portfolio effects from investment in a new discovery.

Join this live session with Peter Thomas, chairman of Ausecure, as he goes over the massive changes occurring in the metals market and what this means for investors. 

Join this live session with Peter Thomas as he goes over the massive changes occuring in the metals market and what this means for investors.

By now you've heard that AI, data centers, and the Magnificent 7 are responsible for Wall Street's spectacular gains over the past three years. You might also know that silver was the superstar in 2025, having tripled in price. Are you aware that Peru and clean energy were some of the super performers, with gains of over 100% and 55%, respectively? This pretty much rounds-up the hot picks we selected for 2025. Will they continue to perform in 2026, or are there new areas to lean into? What about bitcoin? Are we headed for a Crypto Winter?

As we are likely approaching the end of a long-term cycle in both the equity and metals markets, Avi will outline how he sees the market topping out and where he expects the next bear market to take us  

In this session, Carley Garner will share her market analysis on commodities such as gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, and more. She will also share actionable trading ideas and present educational examples of how to use various strategies for speculating or hedging price risk 

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.