What is Futures Trading and how does it work?

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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.
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Höhepunkte des Kurses:

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• Einführung in Futures: Dieses Basismodul ist ideal für Anleger, die neu im Bereich Futures sind. Es führt in die wichtigsten Konzepte und Handelsinstrumente der TWS ein.
• Die Mechanik des Futures-Marktes: Behandelt grundlegende Themen wie Risiko, Futures-Preise, Contango und Backwardation, Kontraktspezifika und Futures-Margin.
• Handel mit Futures mit TWS: Zeigt, wie man Futures-Kontrakte in TWS verwaltet, einschließlich der Erstellung von Futures-Spreads und der Handhabung von Margin-Anforderungen.
• Fundamentalanalyse für Futures: Erläutert den Prozess der Verwendung von mikro- und makroökonomischen Daten und Branchenbedingungen zur Bestimmung des Modellpreises von Futures-Kontrakten.
• In-Depth Topics in Futures: The course delves into specific futures-related products, including equity index, energy, interest rate, FX, agricultural, and metal futures.
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Die Teilnehmer dieses Kurses erhalten ein umfassendes Verständnis des Futures-Handels, von den grundlegenden Mechanismen des Futures-Marktes bis hin zu fortgeschrittenen Konzepten der Fundamentalanalyse von Futures. Der Kurs ist so aufgebaut, dass er eine solide Grundlage für Futures-Konzepte bietet, die durch praktische Demonstrationen auf der TWS-Plattform ergänzt werden. Ganz gleich, ob Sie mit dem Futures-Handel beginnen oder Ihre Kenntnisse vertiefen möchten, dieser Kurs bietet Ihnen die notwendigen Werkzeuge und Einblicke, um sich auf dem Futures-Markt effektiv zu bewegen.

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FAQ

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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