What is a commodity futures contract?

• A. A contract to buy or sell a commodity in the future at a given price.
• B. A loan contract secured by commodity storage.
• C. The right to buy a stock at a later date for a premium.
• D. A contract for shipping services.

Answer: (A)

A commodity futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of a commodity at a predetermined price on a set future date. It’s standardized and traded on futures exchanges, which means the terms—such as quantity, quality, delivery location, and delivery month—are fixed, making it easy to trade. At expiration, the contract can be settled by delivering the commodity or by cash settlement; many traders close out or offset their positions before delivery instead of actually exchanging the physical commodity. This structure lets producers and buyers hedge price risk and lets traders speculate on price movements.

This isn’t a loan secured by storage, a right to purchase a stock at some date for a premium (that would be an option), or a contract for shipping services (a service agreement).