Bull Versus Bear Markets

Futures trading has gained popularity among many people who have gotten engaged into investing. It is actually one of the most lucrative investing options that you can choose. In finance, a futures contract is an agreement to purchase or sell something at a certain price in the near future, between different parties not acquainted with each other, oftentimes not a formal exchange market. The actual asset being traded is often a stock or commodity. Futures contracts are traded on futures exchanges, which serve as places where buyers and sellers meet to enter into future contract transactions.

With futures trading, there is also a risk in what is called “Spread” which means the difference between the actual market price and the bid price. The bid price refers to the price paid by the seller, while the total amount is referred to as the spread. This difference is referred to as the spread, which can double or even triple your investment in a relatively short period of time. The trader’s risk in this kind of trade is dependent on how much spread, they have, as well as the economic reports from economic institutions all over the world. A futures broker helps the investor by providing them with information on how much and in what price to sell their assets for, so it would be wise for the investor to make frequent comparisons of spreads and economic reports.

The reason why futures trading is very popular among small and big investors is due to the low margin requirements. Smaller investors can trade in bigger markets without needing huge amounts of money to start out. And since the prices of these products change slowly and rarely follow fixed trends, there is no problem with predicting the market based on current prices and trends. Large financial institutions can also participate in futures markets because the large number of participants will help stabilize the market. But even with the number of participants, spreads are still low, making it the ideal place for newbies and small investors.

This kind of market attracts new investors because of the huge potential for profit and also because of the lack of required risk. But there are still some risks involved in futures trading and if not properly managed, new investors can suffer big losses. The main risk is related to market risk and other financial risks of holding assets. With no legal restrictions and transferable contracts, there is the chance of investing in unstable assets that can result in loss of funds and investments.

There is one type of futures trading that is quite similar to traditional stocks and bonds investing gold futures trading. With this kind of investment, the initial cost is lower because you can hold onto your asset for longer periods. However, you should know that holding onto gold futures contracts for a long period of time may result in substantial loss of your investment. Usually, trading contracts are for a few months to a year, and even up to two years, and a lot of investors prefer to hold on to their gold futures contracts for at least this long period. The advantage of investing in gold futures is that you don’t have to worry about market fluctuations, because the price value always stays the same and won’t fluctuate much.

Even though gold futures trading has a lower risk compared to other types of currency markets, it is wise to follow economic reports and news before investing so that you will be aware if there are movements in the market which may affect your investments. Although bull markets may bring better profits, bear markets may result in huge losses. There are many kinds of markets to choose from so always make a wise investment decision by carefully analyzing market conditions, trends and analysis before investing in any market.

Jon
Opinion writer on 7trade7