You can buy commodities in the spot market as well as the futures market. For example, you can either buy gold in the spot market and take delivery, or you can buy gold in the futures market and decide about the delivery before expiry.
In India, there are two principal commodity exchanges, viz. the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX). While the MCX is the clear leader in non-agricultural commodities like bullion, crude oil, and industrial metals, NCDEX leads in agricultural commodities trading.
The Reserve Bank of India regulates the banking system, while Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulates the securities market. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) regulates the insurance sector.
NCDEX and MCX were formed and became active exchanges for trading in commodities in 2003. In a way, NCDEX and MCX operate like the stock exchanges; the only difference being that they deal in commodities rather than in stocks and equity indices. Both the NCDEX and the MCX were regulated by the Forward Markets commission (FMC) till 2016. In the Union Budget 2016, the government decided to merge the FMC into SEBI and since then the two principal commodity exchanges viz. the NCDEX and the MCX have been regulated by SEBI. Let us first look at some key principles on which both the commodity exchanges operate.
A bullion market is a market where traders trade in precious metals like gold and silver. A bullion market is a place where exchanges of gold and silver take place over the counter and in the futures market. Trading in bullions market is open 24 hours.
MCX or the Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd is a commodity exchange started by the Government of India in 2003. It is India’s biggest derivatives exchange, where commodities are traded in futures and options.
The stock market is a preferable choice for most investors. However, there is a completely different asset class that knowledgeable investors prefer to trade and earn hefty profits: commodity trading.
The last decade has witnessed a boom in commodity trading. The ease of this form of trading has also improved by leaps and bounds. Investors are not only viewing commodities as hedging instruments but also as a tool to assist in diversification. Let’s understand commodities, their trading, and the boons and banes.