Commodities trading

What are the benefits of trading Commodities with ZERO Markets?

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What is Commodities trading?

Commodities trading represents the buying and selling of set quantities of assets. E.g, Crude Oil and Gold. Commodities trading is typically dominated by energy and metals. Price movements in commodities are usually seen as indicators for the economic health of the wider industry that supplies and demands them.

At ZERO Markets you can trade CFDs on a wide variety of global commodities including gold, silver and oil, all with a trusted broker headquartered in Australia. You can enter and exit trades whenever you want to, close to 24/5, across almost all commodities markets.

Learn to trade Commodities

How does Commodities trading work?

At ZERO Markets we offer CFDs on our MT4 & MT5 platforms to trade commodities. This form of trading allows you to speculate on the changing prices of commodities without owning the physical commodity you're trading. Essentially, a CFD is a contract between the trader and the broker. For example, if you opened a long (buy) CFD trade on Gold when it was valued at $1,505, and you closed the trade when the price rose to $1,525, you would make a profit $20. If the price fell to $1,500, you would make a loss of $5. In basic terms, you are paying or receiving the difference between the opening and closing price of the commodity being traded.

A History of Commodities Trading

There are traces of commodities trading as far back as ancient China and 4500 BC where the Sumerians (modern day Iraq) used jugs filled with clay tokens that were shaped to represent the animal or crop they had in their possession. This evolved over time until 1611 when the Amsterdam Stock Exchange was created. It was the world’s first stock exchange and was originally a market for commodity exchange.

The most significant development in commodities trading occurred in 1848 when the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was set up. Its regulated structure provided the exchange of futures and options contracts. Commodities exchanges are now located worldwide with some specialising in multiple commodities or a lone material. Major commodity markets include the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), London Metal Exchange (LME), the Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) and the Australian Stock Exchange (ASE).

Commodities trading was previously limited to professional traders as it required a substantial amount of time, resources and expertise. Technology and the introduction of additional commodities trading products have changed this. Individuals can now trade commodities using advanced online trading platforms such as MetaTrader 4 and 5. The ways to trade commodities have also expanded to include derivative products such as options, futures contracts, contract for difference (CFDs) and exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Special Characteristics of
the Commodities Market

A commodity is a tangible good that can be traded or exchanged for products of comparable value. They consist of hard commodities and soft commodities. Hard commodities are natural resources that are mined or extracted such as metals and energy resources while soft commodities are agricultural products or livestock.

Metals

Precious metals are rare and remain valuable due to their infinite lifespan and the absence of the prospect of oversupply. The most traded metals are gold, silver, platinum and palladium. Popular metals such as gold and silver can be traded against major currencies in a similar manner to forex trading.

Energy

Includes oil, natural gas and other petroleum based fuel products. Crude oil can be refined into petrol, chemicals, lubricant and other products making it the most traded energy source. Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) are the two major types used to benchmark global oil prices.

Agriculture and Livestock

Relates to major crops and livestock which are in high demand. This includes wheat, rice, corn, coffee, sugar, cotton, oats, soybeans, live cattle, eggs and more. They play a pivotal role in the economy, especially in developing countries which rely heavily on agricultural exports for their economic growth and development.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the commodities market are the factors which impact pricing. Directly related to supply and demand, these include adverse weather conditions such as natural disasters and severe climate changes.

The ability to access commodities using online trading platforms has allowed individual traders to benefit from them. Commodities are often utilised for portfolio diversification as they are generally negatively correlated with stock prices. They are also considered to be an excellent hedging tool against inflation as commodity prices rise when inflation is accelerating. Similarly, many traders invest in commodities to hedge against geopolitical uncertainties such as wars, political events and trade agreements.

Metatrader 4 (MT4) & Metatrader 5 (MT5)

What are the most recommended platforms for Commodities trading?

MT4 & MT5 are the favourite choice for commodities traders around the globe. Zero Markets’ MT4 & MT5 are packed with extras to ensure you’re equipped with all the tools you need to make better informed trading decisions. Tight Raw Pricing, fast execution and superior charts are the building blocks for our MT4 & MT5 solutions.

Trade WTI

Commodities trading example

The gross profit on your trade is calculated as follows:

Opening Price

$39.51 × 0.1 lot = $3,951

Closing Price At $38.51 × 0.1 lot = $3,851Gross Profit on Trade $3,951 – $3,851 = $100

Closing Price At $40.51 × 0.1 lot = $4,051Gross Loss on Trade $3,951 – $4,051 = -$100

Opening the position

The price of WTI is $39.51 and you decide to sell 0.1 lot. The total value was $3,951 USD

Closing the position

Four days later, if the WTI price has increased to $39.51 and you decide to take your profit by selling 0.1 lot WTI. The total value is $3,951 and the gross profit is $100; if the WTI price has increased to $40.51 and the total value is $4,051, the short selling trade loses $100.

Trade from 0.0 pips

Typical Commodities spreads

		Standard account		Super ZERO Account
Symbol	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION	MIN	AVG	MIN	AVG	Mgn%
XTIUSD	West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.0
WTI	Future Oil	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.03
XBRUSD	Brent Crude Oil Cash	0.05	0.05	0.05	0.05
XNGUSD	Natural Gas	0.027	0.004	0.027	0.004
COFFEE	US Coffee Futures	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.2
CORN	Corn / USD Cash	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1
COCOA	Cocoa / USD Cash	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
SOYBEANS	Soybean / USD Cash	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1
WHEAT	Wheat / USD Cash	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.1

*Margin (MGN) is a percentage of your equity put aside by your broker to execute trades. This is to cover the possibility of loss in your account. Margin is not a cost or a fee.

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