Word: oiling
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...these traders who cryptically buy and sell oil contracts for pure profit, without supplying it or using it? Most people immediately think they're hedge funds but forget about the investment banks. Then again, you don't have to be a hedge fund or an investment bank to be an oil speculator. Be forewarned, though: trading oil futures is not like trading stocks and bonds. It's not for the ordinary investor. It's a wild ride. If you're willing to take the risk, here's how you might go about...
First, you'll need money. How much? Let's say you want to trade one contract of crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Since you're not a member of the exchange, and no one will really trust your new oil venture, you're going to need to start with at least $10,000 in your margin account (similar to a brokerage account, but it lets you leverage your bets to the hilt) as collateral to comfortably trade one contract. That might sound like a lot for just one contract, but a single contract on NYMEX represents...
Next, you need to find a broker and clearinghouse to connect you with the markets to trade and also act as insurance to the exchange that you will cover any potential losses. (Read "Borders of Sudan's Oil-Rich Region Shrink...
Finally, are you ready to monitor the oil market 24/7 - to be peeking at your monitor even while kissing your spouse - and are you well stocked with ulcer medications? Yes, it is that easy. Now for the hard part: profit...
...oil-futures market is like a perpetual roulette wheel: red or black, up or down ... in the end, you're just betting on the direction of prices. And just as in roulette, the house will hold an advantage. In this case the house effectively consists of big players like Goldman Sachs who own supercomputers that can easily stay one step ahead of your moves. Also, since you're not a big player the action is going to come at a steep cost. You'll pay more in exchange fees and commissions than the big boys, and get less profitable prices...