Many investors learn how to trade equity options, but many are unfamiliar with futures. As headlines about commodity prices proliferate, active, self-directed investors are turning their attention to futures. The Complete Guide to Futures Trading is a comprehensive introductory handbook to investing with commodity futures, including the increasingly popular mini(r) stock index futures and the new singles stock futures contracts. It offers how-to advice from finding a broker to opening an account to making a trade, and provides advice based on years of experience to help new traders get started in commodity futures.

A new edition will be available in January 2017 Focusing on price-forecasting in the commodity futures market, this is the most comprehensive examination of fundamental and technical analysis available. Treats both approaches in depth, with forecasting examined in conjunction with practical trading considerations.

This is the definitive and complete guide to spread trading in futures. Covers spread trading methods -- analyzing spreads and spread price action, as well as discovering and executing profitable spread trades. Brings together various methods, such as analyzing prices combined with analyzing historical data on commodity price trends. Offers information on the following topics: Why Spread Prices Change, Carrying Charges, Historical Comparison Analysis, Seasonal Analysis, Chart Analysis, The Trading Plan, Trading Techniques, Sources of Information. This is a completely revised, updated, and expanded version o: Smith's earlier book, Commodity Spreads.

For Amazon customers: The new version of the book, printed on higher quality paper, is now available to purchase. The essential futures market reference guide A Complete Guide to the Futures Market is the comprehensive resource for futures traders and analysts. Spanning everything from technical analysis, trading systems, and fundamental analysis to options, spreads, and practical trading principles, A Complete Guide is required reading for any trader or investor who wants to successfully navigate the futures market. Clear, concise, and to the point, this fully revised and updated second edition provides a solid foundation in futures market basics, details key analysis and forecasting techniques, explores advanced trading concepts, and illustrates the practical application of these ideas with hundreds of market examples. A Complete Guide to the Futures Market: Details different trading and analytical approaches, including chart analysis, technical indicators and trading systems, regression analysis, and fundamental market models. Separates misleading market myths from reality. Gives step-by-step instruction for developing and testing original trading ideas and systems. Illustrates a wide range of option strategies, and explains the trading implications of each. Details a wealth of practical trading guidelines and market insights from a recognized trading authority. Trading futures without a firm grasp of this market’s realities and nuances is a recipe for losing money. A Complete Guide to the Futures Market offers serious traders and investors the tools to keep themselves on the right side of the ledger.

PRAISE FOR The Complete Guide to FUTURES TRADING "It does a good job of conveying, in a style that is clear to the layman, how the futures world works and what is required to succeed as a trader." —Financial Engineering News "This landmark book makes futures trading accessible to mainstream individual investors. As chief executive officer of the largest financial exchange in the world for trading futures and options, I can wholeheartedly recommend this volume for the reader who wants to learn the fundamentals of investing in futures." —From the Foreword by Craig S. Donohue, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Mercantile Exchange "The Complete Guide to Futures Trading is the ultimate 'getting started' guide. The book leads you through an informative yet concise course with an A-to-Z explanation of how to trade futures successfully. eSignal has partnered with Lind-Waldock for more than a decade to provide futures traders with reliable, accurate, and actionable data. This is a much-needed and well-written resource for the new futures trader." —Chuck Thompson, President, eSignal "My hat is off to the authors of this extremely well-written and timely book about futures trading. If the experts are right that the next bull market will be in commodities, this guide will find a large audience among investors interested in diversifying beyond stocks and bonds. This guide does a terrific job of explaining the practical aspects of futures trading and will be of great use to anyone interested in using these instruments to participate in market trends." —John Damgard, President, Futures Industry Association

During bull and bear markets, there is a group of hedge funds and professional traders which have been consistently outperforming traditional investment strategies for the past 30 odd years. They have shown remarkable uncorrelated performance and in the great bear market of 2008 they had record gains. These traders are highly secretive about their proprietary trading algorithms and often employ top PhDs in their research teams. Yet, it is possible to replicate their trading performance with relatively simplistic models. These traders are trend following cross asset futures managers, also known as CTAs. Many books are written about them but none explain their strategies in such detail as to enable the reader to emulate their success and create their own trend following trading business, until now. Following the Trend explains why most hopefuls fail by focusing on the wrong things, such as buy and sell rules, and teaches the truly important parts of trend following. Trading everything from the Nasdaq index and T-bills to currency crosses, platinum and live hogs, there are large gains to be made regardless of the state of the economy or stock markets. By analysing year by year trend following performance and attribution the reader will be able to build a deep understanding of what it is like to trade futures in large scale and where the real problems and opportunities lay. Written by experienced hedge fund manager Andreas Clenow, this book provides a comprehensive insight into the strategies behind the booming trend following futures industry from the perspective of a market participant. The strategies behind the success of this industry are explained in great detail, including complete trading rules and instructions for how to replicate the performance of successful hedge funds. You are in for a potentially highly profitable roller coaster ride with this hard and honest look at the positive as well as the negative sides of trend following.