Markets
Four commodity verticals — each with subcategories, resources, key players, and concepts.
Energy
The largest commodity market by value. Energy covers crude oil, natural gas, LNG, and coal — the fuels that power industrial civilisation. Price discovery happens across spot markets, futures exchanges (NYMEX, ICE, SGX), and long-term supply contracts.
4 subcategories →
Metals
Metals divide into ferrous (iron and steel) and non-ferrous (base metals like copper, aluminium) and precious (gold, silver). The LME in London is the price-setter for base metals. China dominates both supply (as producer) and demand (as consumer).
3 subcategories →
Agricultural
Agricultural commodities — grains, oilseeds, and soft commodities — feed the world. They are among the most politically sensitive markets due to food security implications. The CBOT in Chicago is the benchmark exchange for grains; Euronext for European wheat; ICE for sugar, coffee, and cocoa.
2 subcategories →
Freight
Freight is the invisible cost embedded in every physical commodity trade. The Baltic Exchange in London publishes daily indices for all dry bulk and tanker vessel classes. Freight can be hedged via Forward Freight Agreements (FFAs), traded on ICE. Understanding freight is the difference between a profitable commodity trade and a losing one.
3 subcategories →