Buyers and Producers of Commodities

The sale and purchase of commodities are usually carried out through futures contracts on exchanges that standardize the quantity and minimum quality of the commodity being traded. For example, the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) stipulates that one wheat contract is for 5,000 bushels and states what grades of wheat can be used to satisfy the contract

Two types of traders trade commodity futures. The first are buyers and producers of commodities that use commodity futures contracts for the hedging purposes for which they were originally intended. These traders make or take delivery of the actual commodity when the futures contract expires.

Commodity prices typically rise when inflation accelerates, which is why investors often flock to them for their protection during times of increasing inflation—particularly when it is unexpected. So, commodity demand increases because investors flock to them, raising their prices.

On Greatwestinvestmentllc you can trade international commodities and spread contracts based on the underlying futures prices of commodities around the world.