Futures Made Simple

Futures Made Simple is the essential guide for anyone who wants to make money trading futures, without all the fuss. The futures market is a truly global trading arena with no boundaries or borders. You don’t have to be a financial wizard — or hire a financial adviser — to be successful. In Futures Made Simple you will discover the key strategies that even a novice trader can use to make money trading futures. Inside you’ll find information on: trading in a global market types of futures contracts factors affecting contract price hedging and speculating trading both rising and falling markets order types, including stop and limit orders choosing and using a broker money and risk management. If you’re ready to break into the futures market and maximise your success without all the stress, this is the book for you.

About the author v Acknowledgements vii Foreword ix Preface xi Part I: Trading futures — principles and practice 1 1 The history and evolution of futures exchanges 3 2 How futures work 15 3 Who trades futures and why 37 4 Trading mechanics 67 5 Risk and money management 105 Part II: Natural commodity futures contracts 127 6 Grains 129 7 Food and fibre — the ‘softs’ 157 8 Livestock — the meats 183 9 Energy markets 199 10 Metals 221 Part III: Financial markets futures contracts 243 11 Interest rates futures 245 12 Equity index futures 265 Glossary 291 Useful websites 297 Index 298

Kel Butcher is a financial markets trader and consultant with more than 20 years’ experience trading shares, futures, options, warrants, CFDs and Forex. Kel is a regular contributor to YourTradingEdge Magazine and is the author of Forex Made Simple, A Step–by–Step Guide to Buying and Selling Shares Online and 20 Most Common Trading Mistakes .