Crude oil futures are traded on several exchanges, but the most popular ones are the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The NYMEX is owned by CME Group and is the primary exchange for crude oil futures trading.
The crude oil futures ticker symbol is CL, which is used for the NYMEX contract. This symbol is widely recognized in the industry and is used by traders, investors, and analysts alike. The CL symbol is also used for the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil contract.
One of the key market data points to track is the price of crude oil futures. This can be found in the market data section of the exchange's website or through a financial news website. The price of crude oil futures can fluctuate rapidly due to changes in global demand and supply.
What Is a Commodity Contract?
A commodity contract is an agreement to buy or sell a particular commodity at a future date.
The price and the amount of the commodity are fixed at the time of the agreement, and these contracts trade on regulated futures exchanges like the CME or the ICE.
Commodity futures contracts can be bought and sold throughout the duration of the contract, and the majority are liquidated prior to the delivery or expiration date.
Commodity futures contracts are typically traded through futures brokers who are registered with the CFTC and NFA.
These contracts can be used for both speculative and hedging purposes, giving investors a way to manage risk and potentially profit from price movements.
Crude Oil Ticker Symbol
The crude oil ticker symbol is CL, which represents the WTI Light Sweet Crude Oil futures contract. This is the world's most liquid and actively traded crude oil contract, with over 1 million contracts traded per day.
Each futures contract is equal to 1,000 barrels of crude oil, and trades in increments of one cent per barrel. The contract trades in real-time, priced out of Cushing, Oklahoma, which has deep ties to energy markets worldwide.
Here are some key facts about the CL ticker symbol:
The CL ticker symbol is widely recognized and used by traders and investors to buy and sell crude oil futures.
Crude Oil - Feb 25
The WTI Crude Oil futures contract, with the ticker symbol CL, is the world's most liquid and actively traded crude oil contract. It trades over 1 million contracts per day, with each futures contract equal to 1,000 barrels of Crude Oil.
The contract trades in increments of one cent per barrel, priced out of Cushing, Oklahoma, NYMEX WTI also has deep ties to energy markets worldwide.
The main delivery point for physical exchange and price settlement for WTI is Cushing, Oklahoma, known as "The Pipeline Crossroads of the World." The Cushing hub delivery system consists of 35 (20 inbound and 15 outbound) pipelines and 16 storage terminals.
WTI has a sulfur content between 0.24% and 0.34%, whereas Brent has a sulfur content between 0.35% to 0.40%. This makes WTI a bit easier to refine, but transporting it overseas to Brent crude's market can be costly, making it difficult for WTI to compete with Brent crude in terms of pricing.
Here's a summary of the WTI Crude Oil futures contract:
- Symbol: CL
- Exchange: Derived
- Currency: USD
- Real-time price: 74.10
- Day's Range: 73.53 - 74.39
Month Symbols
Futures Month Symbols are a unique set of abbreviations used to denote the expiration month for future contracts. These symbols are a result of a historical association with agricultural resources.
Corn and wheat are two of the original commodities traded in the futures market, which is why their symbols are used to represent the months of the year.
The letters A, B, C, E, O, S, and W have already been assigned meanings in trading contexts, such as Ask, Bid, Corn, Eggs, Oats, Soybeans, and Wheat.
Trading Crude Oil
The WTI Light Sweet Crude Oil futures contract, with the ticker symbol CL, is the world's most liquid and actively traded crude oil contract. It's the most efficient way to trade today's global oil markets.
WTI Crude Oil trades over 1 million contracts per day, with each contract equal to 1,000 barrels of Crude Oil, and trades in increments of one cent per barrel.
To start trading WTI Crude Oil futures & options, you'll need to open a futures trading account. Once you've opened an account, you'll have access to a trading platform or can phone in your orders to a 24-hour trade desk.
Here are the root symbols for WTI Crude Oil futures contracts: Futures: CL
Many traders choose to trade the most active month, also known as the "front" month, as it will typically be the contract with the most trading volume.
Trading Options
To trade WTI Crude Oil options, you'll first need to open a futures trading account.
You'll have access to a trading platform where you can place orders, or you can phone them in to a 24-hour trade desk.
All futures & options contracts have symbols that identify the contracts you want to trade.
For WTI Crude Oil, the root symbol is CL.
You'll need to append the month and year codes to the root symbol when placing an order.
For example, if you want to trade an August 2024 WTI Crude Oil futures contract, the full symbol will be CL.Q24.
This is because CL is the root symbol, Q is the month code for August, and 24 is the last two digits of the contract year.
Trading Crude Oil
Trading crude oil involves buying and selling futures contracts, with the most liquid and actively traded contract being WTI Light Sweet Crude Oil. This contract trades over 1 million contracts per day.
The WTI Crude Oil contract trades in increments of one cent per barrel, with each contract equal to 1,000 barrels of crude oil. This makes it an efficient way to trade the global oil market.
WTI Crude Oil is priced out of Cushing, Oklahoma, and is deeply tied to energy markets worldwide. This location is known as "The Pipeline Crossroads of the World", with 35 pipelines and 16 storage terminals.
WTI is the main oil benchmark for North America, sourced primarily in inland Texas. It is one of the world's highest-quality oils, with a sulfur content between 0.24% and 0.34%.
To get a better understanding of the WTI price, you can check the previous close, open, and day's range. For example, the previous close might be $73.96, the open might be $74.10, and the day's range might be $73.53 to $74.39.
Here are some key facts about WTI:
- WTI is a light, sweet crude oil.
- It is one of the three global oil benchmarks.
- WTI is sourced primarily in inland Texas.
- It is the underlying commodity for the NYMEX's oil futures contract.
Months
Trading crude oil involves understanding the different months and their corresponding codes. The months of the year are represented by unique codes, which are essential for identifying futures contracts.
For example, January is represented by the code F, February by G, and March by H. This coding system is used consistently across the industry.
Here's a list of the months and their corresponding codes:
- January – F
- February - G
- March – H
- April – J
- May – K
- June – M
- July – N
- August Q-
- September – U
- October – V
- November – X
- December – Z
Crude Oil Information
The WTI Light Sweet Crude Oil futures contract is the world's most liquid and actively traded crude oil contract, with over 1 million contracts traded every day.
This contract is priced out of Cushing, Oklahoma, and has deep ties to energy markets worldwide.
Each futures contract is equal to 1,000 barrels of Crude Oil, making it a significant trading volume.
WTI Crude Oil trades in increments of one cent per barrel, allowing for precise price movements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nymex crude?
Nymex crude is a type of light, sweet crude oil that is highly sought after by refiners due to its low sulfur content and high yields of valuable products. It is traded in standardized 1,000 barrel contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX).
Sources
- https://bettertrader.co/online-trading-academy/futures-symbols-and-months.html
- https://www.interactivebrokers.com/campus/trading-lessons/micro-wti-crude-oil-futures-overview/
- https://insigniafutures.com/learn-to-trade-crude-oil-futures/
- https://www.investing.com/commodities/crude-oil-contracts
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wti.asp
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