Metals Futures Contracts

What are metals futures contracts?

Maybe all that glitters is not gold, but there are certainly many opportunities for traders looking to speculate on the price of important precious and industrial metals, like gold, silver, and copper.

The metals futures complex consists of futures contracts that play a key role in international financial markets, jewelry making, and many industrial production processes. Rising or falling prices for these key precious metal futures can be a good indication of global supply and demand, economic growth, or instability.

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Target global trading opportunities with metals futures

Traders can take advantage of the uncorrelated diversification that metals futures offer over more commonly traded financial futures like major market stock indexes and bonds. Metals futures also offer more trading flexibility compared to mining stocks, ETFs, and CFDs. Metal futures include:

GC

Gold futures

As a storage of wealth, gold is a barometer to trade global economic stability

SI

Silver futures

Positioned as a key industrial metal, silver is a benchmark for global industrial output

HG

Copper futures

A measure of economic health, copper allows you to speculate on the global economy

Trade bite-sized Micro metals contracts to reduce financial commitment

At 1/10th the size of standard metals futures contracts, Micro metals futures allow traders to access these dynamic markets with lower costs and reduced day trading margins. Other advantages of trading Micro metals contracts include: 

  • Increased flexibility to scale in and out of positions
  • Ability to more precisely control trade size risk
  • Highly leveraged investment for more buying power

Leverage also increases the risk associated with futures trading and only risk capital should be used for trading

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Global futures markets at your fingertips

Futures trading encompasses a wide range of globally traded products that allow traders at all levels to speculate on the price of these dynamic markets. There are many diverse futures markets to explore, including:

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Frequently Asked Questions About Metals Futures

Metal futures contracts are a tradable instrument to buy or sell precious and industrial metal resources like gold, silver, and copper. Each of these exchange traded contracts has a unique set of contract specifications for point value, expiration date, and delivery method.
Metals futures trading is one way in which traders diversify their portfolio. Traders can actively buy or sell metals futures contracts at current market prices virtually 24 hours a day, through a well-regulated futures broker like NinjaTrader. Metals futures give traders direct trading exposure to these important global markets. 
Trading metals futures contracts comes with many advantages, one of which is the flexibility it provides over trading these same instruments using ETFs or mining stocks with their many limitations. Futures offers extended trading hours, the ability to go short easily, and lower capital requirements.
Gold futures is the most actively traded metals futures. It is used as a storage of wealth for individuals, corporations, and governments around the world. Copper futures are also actively traded and considered a proxy for the condition of the US, Chinese, and global economy.
Metal futures trading requires a funded account at a licensed futures broker. Traders can then buy and sell the desired futures contract by putting up a good faith margin deposit to cover potential losses. NinjaTrader is a licensed futures broker that allows you to customize your platform for the way you trade. Practice in a trading simulation to get started.
Yes, you can trade metals futures with NinjaTrader. NinjaTrader is a unique futures trading provider centralizing all the tools and services needed for both new and experienced traders to enter the global futures markets. NinjaTrader offers a comprehensive set of cutting-edge trading tools for both new and experienced futures traders. You can place orders and analyze the metals futures markets from multiple platforms including the award-winning NinjaTrader Desktop.
Trading metals futures comes with a number of potential risks. It is important for traders to always be aware of the factors that can affect the price of the futures that they are trading. Following a risk management plan should be a critical component of all trading strategies. As futures trading offers greater leverage for potentially increased profits, that leverage also increases the possibility of greater losses. Traders should only trade with risk capital. Risk capital is money you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle or changing your retirement horizon.