On the Information Content of Futures Prices, Application to LME Nonferrous Metal Futures.

The objective of operations on futures markets may be either hedging or speculation. In this paper, we wish to give a desciption of futures markets with two groups of operators with heterogeneous expectations: hedgers-speculators, and pure speculators. The existence of carry-over costs is taken into account in the case of commodity trading, as well as in the case of financial futures. An equation, giving a simplified expression of the futures price, is derived. Applications to nonferrous metal futures (aluminium, copper and nickel) commodity markets are proposed.