Futures and spot are completely different. Spot is a real tradable commodity. Futures is not mainly a commodity, but a standardized tradable contract for some popular products such as cotton, soybeans and oil, as well as other financial assets such as stocks and bonds. Therefore, the subject matter can be commodities (such as gold, crude oil and agricultural products) or financial instruments.

The delivery date of futures can be one week later, one month later, three months later or even one year later. A contract or agreement to buy or sell futures is called a futures contract. The place where futures are bought and sold is called the futures market.

Investors can invest or speculate in futures. With the deepening of the reform of futures market and futures industry, the futures industry will enter the best period of development opportunities in history. In the short term, with the expansion of the market and the improvement of market efficiency, the futures industry is expected to usher in a turning point in performance; In the long run, with the comprehensive development of business innovation, the futures industry will continue to open.

Extended data:

Main characteristics of futures

1. Product variety, trading unit, contract month, deposit, quantity, quality, grade, delivery time, delivery place, etc. The terms of futures contracts are established and standardized, and the only variable is the price. The standards of futures contracts are usually designed by futures exchanges and listed by national regulatory agencies.

2. Futures contracts are concluded under the organization of the futures exchange and have legal effect, and the price is generated through public bidding in the trading hall of the exchange; Most foreign countries adopt public bidding, while our country adopts computer trading.

3. The performance of futures contracts is guaranteed by the exchange, and private transactions are not allowed.

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