The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads - Hardcover

by Steve Moore (Author), Jerry Toepke (Author), Nick Colley (Author)

A well-researched guide to the most profitable spreads in the futures market

The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads is divided by product category-energy, natural gas, meats, soybeans, corn/wheat, currencies, interest rates, and metals. The precise performance of each spread is identified-over the previous 20 years-and combined with a graph that displays visually the price performance of the spread. For each of the 175 trades identified, there is an explanation of the trade, its history, and advice on how traders should approach the trade.

Steve W. Moore (Eugene, OR) has been trading and researching the futures markets for more than 25 years. He formed Moore Research in 1990 to provide traders with historical research and seasonal analysis to better trade the commodity markets. Jerry Toepke (Eugene, Oregon) is Editor of Moore Research Center, Inc. Nick Colley (Eugene, Oregon) is Research Director of Moore Research Center, Inc.

Front Jacket

Traders have used spreads since the inception of the commodity markets. Although spreads are particularly popular in physical commodities--because they often reflect supply/demand fluctuations brought about by harvesting, animal slaughter, or seasonal weather patterns--they can also be used as effective trading strategies in the currency and interest rate markets. Despite the widespread acceptance of spread trading as a sound trading concept, there hasn't been a lot of good, instructive material in this area--until now.

The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads is a well-researched, detailed examination of some of the more recently successful spreads in the futures market. Created by a team of experienced experts associated with Moore Research Center, Inc., a respected spread trading research firm, this valuable resource can potentially help you make more informed and profitable trading decisions.

The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads is divided by product category--energy, grains, soybeans, meats, metals, softs, forex, and interest rates--and each section opens with a brief discussion of the underlying dynamics that give rise to spread trading opportunities in that specific category. The precise performance of each spread is then identified--for up to the last twenty years--and combined with graphs that display the price performance of the spread. All 282 spread strategies identified within are accompanied by discussion of underlying seasonal dynamics, histories, and/or analysis of how and why strategies have performed as well as they have in the past.

With The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads by your side, you may be able to:

• Earn greater profits over the long run, while calculating potential downside risk
• Follow seasonal and cyclical patterns based on historical spread relationships
• Define your trading and risk objectives in specific terms
• Discover opportunities in lesser-known markets
• And much more

Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads is a comprehensive reference resource for this important financial discipline. If you're looking to make the most out of your time in the markets, look to The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads to help you get the job done.

Back Jacket

Despite the widespread acceptance of spread trading, the availability of information needed to profitably utilize this concept has been limited--until now.

The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads is a well-researched, detailed examination of some of the more recently successful spreads in the futures market. Created by a team of experienced experts associated with Moore Research Center, Inc., a respected spread trading research firm, this valuable resource can potentially help you make more informed and profitable trading decisions.

The Encyclopedia of Commodity and Financial Spreads delves into eight futures market complexes--energy, grains, soybeans, meats, metals, softs, forex, and interest rates. Each section briefly discusses underlying dynamics that can give rise to spread trading opportunities in the complex. How those markets have tended to respond is illustrated by their seasonal patterns and quantified by 282 spread trading strategies proven reliable between specific dates over the last twenty years. Each strategy is replete with its own supporting detail of historical fact. Accompanying commentary is meant to help the reader analyze, interpret, and understand the trading ideas in order to better anticipate their potential recurrence in the future.

If you're looking to get more out of your trading endeavors, don't go into the markets without referring to this book first.

Author Biography

STEVE MOORE has been trading and researching the futures markets for more than thirty years. He formed Moore Research Center, Inc. (MRCI) in 1989 to provide traders with historical research and seasonal analysis to better trade the commodity markets. MRCI has grown into one of the most respected research firms in the industry and is the unquestioned research leader in the analysis of commodity spreads and seasonals. MRCI's Web page, www.mrci.com, is a leading online resource for spread traders, providing a great deal of free information, as well as a variety of online subscription products.

JERRY TOEPKE began studying futures markets in 1977 and has since performed as a private trader and a retail broker. He is currently Editor at MRCI. Jerry considers himself a student of markets, fascinated by their behavior and the functions they perform. Since joining what is now MRCI in 1988, Jerry has learned to appreciate not only the power of seasonal study, but also how it integrates with fundamental and technical analysis. In 1997, he began writing the Weekly Spread Commentary, discussing two upcoming seasonal spread strategies each week as a way to help educate new spread traders and to breathe life into seasonal statistics and charts by adding depth and context.

NICK COLLEY has been programming computers for almost thirty years for private industry and the U.S. Air Force (USAF). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he worked his way through college writing accounting software for small businesses, before enlisting in the USAF. He was also on the development team for the worldwide release of flying hour and training management software. After leaving the USAF, he developed touch screen-based point of sale software and terrain analysis software. In 1987, he began working with Steve Moore, initially converting seasonal analysis software from mini-computer to micro-computer platforms. He and Steve have been continually enhancing this software for nearly eighteen years.