FAQ Commodity

A commodity is a product having commercial value that can be produced, bought, sold, and consumed.

A derivative contract is an enforceable agreement whose value is derived from the value of an underlying asset; the underlying asset can be a commodity, precious metal, currency, bond, stock, or, indices of commodities, stocks etc. Four most common examples of derivative instruments are forwards, futures, options and swaps/spreads. Commodity future is a contract to buy or sell specific commodity, of a specific quality, at a specific price, for a specific future date on the exchange.

A forward contract is a legally enforceable agreement for delivery of goods or the underlying asset on a specific date in future at a price agreed on the date of contract. Under Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, all the contracts for delivery of goods, which are settled by payment of money difference or where delivery and payment is made after a period of 11 days, are forward contracts

Futures Contract is a type of forward contract. Futures are exchange traded contracts to sell or buy standardized financial instruments or physical commodities for delivery on a specified future date at an agreed price. Futures contracts are used generally for protecting against rich of adverse price fluctuation i.e. hedging.

Futures prices evolve from the interaction of bids and offers emanating from all over the country which converge in the trading floor or the trading engine. The bid and offer prices are based on the expectations of prices on the maturity date.

In simple terms, long position is a net bought position

In simple terms, short position is net sold position.

In a spot market, commodities are physically bought or sold usually on a negotiable basis resulting in delivery. While in the futures markets, commodities can be bought or sold irrespective of the physical possession of the underlying commodity. The futures market trades in standardized contractual agreements of the underlying asset with specific quality, quantity, and mode of delivery whose settlement is guaranteed by regulated commodity exchanges.

As in capital markets, a commodity exchange is an association or a company or any other body corporate that is organizing futures trading in commodities and is registered with FMC (Forward Market Commission). Two major national level commodities exchanges are Multi Commodities Exchange of India (MCX), National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange of India (NCDEX).

Commodity Market in India is regulated by Forward Market Commission (FMC) under the guidance of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, & Public Distribution.

The biggest advantage of trading in commodity futures is price risk management and price discovery. Farmers can protect themselves against undesirable price movements and decide upon cropping pattern. The merchandisers avoid price risk. Processors keep control on raw material cost and decreasing inventory values. International traders also can lock in their prices.

Hedging means taking a position in the futures or options market that is opposite to a position in the physical market. It reduces or limits risks associated with unpredictable changes in price. The objective behind this mechanism is to offset a loss in one market with a gain in another.

Arbitrage is making purchases and sales simultaneously in two different markets to profit from the price differences prevailing in those markets. The factors driving arbitrage are the real or perceived differences in the equilibrium price as determined by supply and demand at various locations

It is a document issued by a warehouse indicating ownership of a stored commodity and specifying details in respect of some particulars, like, quality, quantity and, some times, indicating the crop season. The original depositor or the holder in due course can claim the commodities from the warehouse by producing the warehouse receipt.

It is the quantity of a commodity specified in the contract as tradable units. The lot size is different for each commodity. The details about lot sizes / delivery lot can be obtained from the respective exchanges’ website. Each contract has a lot size and a delivery size, which are not the same; in the case of gold, the lot size on the NCDEX is 100 gm while the delivery size is 1000 gm. If a person wants to enter into a delivery settlement for gold, he will have to enter into a minimum of 10 contracts or multiples thereof. Market participants are required to negotiate only the quantity and price of the contract, as all other parameters are predetermined by the exchange. Please note the trading/delivery lot varies from exchange to exchange.