Contango is a term that arises in the financial market. It refers to the amount of money paid by an investor in order to hold onto a commodity, such as oil or precious metals, for a specific period of time. The term is spelled phonetically as /kɒnˈtæŋɡəʊ/, with the emphasis on the second syllable. It is derived from the Italian word "contare," which means to count or to calculate. The spelling of the word is peculiar, and this has led to some confusion amongst those not familiar with its use.
Contango is a financial term used to describe a situation in which the price of a futures contract is higher than the expected future spot price of the underlying asset. It is commonly used in commodities and derivatives markets.
In a contango market, the futures price exceeds the expected spot price as a result of factors such as carrying costs, storage expenses, and interest rates. This typically occurs when there is high demand for the asset or when there are concerns about future supply shortages.
Traders and investors can exploit contango by buying futures contracts at lower prices and selling them when the prices converge. This strategy allows them to profit from the price difference between the futures price and the spot price.
Contango can also occur in financial markets, particularly in the case of interest rates. It refers to a situation where the future price of a financial instrument or currency is higher than its spot price, which indicates expectations of rising interest rates in the future.
However, contango can have drawbacks for investors, especially if they hold futures contracts over a prolonged period. They may face losses due to the cost of carrying the asset, such as storage expenses or negative roll yield.
Overall, contango is an important concept for traders and investors to understand as it can offer opportunities for profit, but also comes with associated risks and expenses.
The term "contango" originates from the early 19th century and has its roots in the commodity markets, particularly in the trading of futures contracts. It is derived from the Italian word "contangere", which can be broken down into "con" meaning "with" and "tangere" meaning "to touch".
The concept of contango emerged as a way to describe the characteristic upward sloping shape of the futures price curve in the commodities market. In a contango situation, the futures price of a commodity is higher than its expected spot price at the time of delivery. This means that market participants are willing to pay more for a commodity delivered in the future, anticipating a rise in its value or cost of carry.
Over time, the term "contango" has extended beyond the commodity markets and is now used in various financial contexts where forward pricing is involved.