The problem with most risk management and hedging programs today is that there is a lack of a defined process. Too many producers and consumers are either trying to buy the absolute top/bottom, getting nervous and buying/selling on impulses, or simply buying to a budget. From a risk management perspective, all of these strategies will […]
If you’ve been following the grain markets for the last year or two, you’ve definitely seen that they’ve been on a wide ride. On August of 2020, the nearby active corn contract opened at $3.15/bu. Almost a year and a half later in April of 2022, the nearby active corn contract opened at $7.48/bu – […]
If you’re new to futures markets, or only look at a few futures markets, you may find yourself a bitconfused by the meaning of things like ZCZ3, or ZWH3. Those symbols are called Futures Contract Codes. Each of these codes is a unique identifier and represent the commodity being traded, the deliverymonth of the contract, […]
Since commodities are all derived from some natural resource, it is important to understand those natural resources, their production practices, and the underlying market conditions. Without a firm understanding of these underlying principles, it is very hard to have a firm understanding of what is driving the markets. In the grain and oilseed market primer, […]