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What are Commodity Futures?

Commodity futures give you an insight into where markets expect commodity prices to move in the near future. Stock Doctor displays key futures contracts in the Markets panel and Advanced Charting Tool.

 

What are futures contracts?

A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a commodity (like lithium, copper, or gold) at a set price on a future date.

They are widely used by analysts and traders to gauge supply and demand expectations.

 

How Stock Doctor displays them

To make things clear and consistent, Stock Doctor shows continuation contracts for each commodity. These are rolling contracts that link one expiry to the next, giving you a smooth view of price trends.

For each commodity, you’ll see:

  • Current Month – contract expiring at the end of this month

  • 2nd Month – contract expiring at the end of next month

  • 3rd Month – contract expiring at the end of the following month

 

Why it matters

Looking at the 2nd and 3rd month futures helps you see where the market expects prices to head:

  • If prices are higher in later months → demand is expected to rise or supply may fall

  • If prices are lower in later months → demand is expected to soften or supply may increase

Example: If Lithium Hydroxide 2nd and 3rd month futures are rising, the Current Month price is likely to follow as those contracts roll forward.

Forward contracts indicate where prices may head

 

 

Where to find them

  • Markets panel → shows the Current Month futures price for key commodities

  • Charting tool → allows you to chart Current, 2nd, and 3rd month futures

     

Note: Futures data in Stock Doctor is end-of-day (EOD) only.