Indices DJIA S&P 500 DAX 30 Nasdaq 100 Nasdaq Comp Nikkei 225 FTSE 100 SMI DJ Stoxx 50 CAC 40 Hang Seng Kospi Nyse Comp AMEX   -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -   10261.1 1085.4 6087 1829.5 2187.7 9062.8 5371.4 6328.8 2715.7 6087 20868.9 1775.7 6926.2 1926.8 Commodites Light Crude Oil Brent Crude Copper Gold Pallad Platinum Silver Dow Diamonds QQQQ   -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -   73.63 74.85 258.96 1251.85 520.5 1543 19.57 102.7 45.02 Last update: 02-09-2010 15:29:00 (GMT - Live)

Buying (Going Long) to Profit from an Expected Price Increase What is a Futures Contract? Leverage: Small movements can create big profits! Margins Month Codes Buying (Going Long) to Profit from an Expected Price Increase Selling (Going Short) to Profit from an Expected Price Decrease About the National Futures Association (NFA) Complete history of the Futures Contract? Contract Specifications: mini-sized Dow ($5) CBOT Contract Specifications: DJIA Futures ($10 Multiplier) CBOT Contract Specifications: Corn CBOT TOP 4 U.S. FUTURES EXCHANGES TOP 10 GLOBAL FUTURES CONTRACTS TOP 10 U.S. FUTURES CONTRACTS TOP 10 CME FUTURES CONTRACTS RANKED BY VOLUME Delivery CME Eurodollar Futures CME Eurodollar Futures CME LIBOR Futures Someone expecting the price of a particular commodity or item to increase over a given period of time can seek to profit by buying futures contracts. If correct in forecasting the direction and timing of the price change, the futures contract can later be sold for the higher price, thereby yielding a profit. If the price declines rather than increases, the trade will result in a loss. Because of leverage, the gain or loss may be greater than the initial margin deposit. For example, assume it's now January, the July soybean futures contract is presently quoted at $6.00 a bushel, and over the coming months you expect the price to increase. You decide to deposit the required initial margin of $1,000 and buy one July soybean futures contract. Further assume that by April the July soybean futures price has risen to $6.40, and you decide to take your profit by selling. Since each contract is for 5,000 bushels, your 40-cent a bushel profit would be 5,000 bushels x 40¢ or $2,000 less transaction costs. source: National Futures Association