Commodities cover energy, agriculture and metals products. These products are traded in futures markets and derive their value from demand and supply characteristics.

Supply characteristics include the weather in the case of agriculture and costs of extraction in the case of mining and energies.

Demand for commodities tends to be characterised by broader conditions such as economic cycles and population growth. Commodities can be traded as stand alone products or in pairs.

Metals and energies are traded against major currencies whereas agriculture futures contracts are traded as stand-alone contracts.