Investors access many commodity markets via futures contracts. Futures contracts are based on expectations of future prices, the cost of carry and interest rates, investors are exposed to an additional source of variability: the shape of the futures curve. When the futures curve is upward sloping (futures prices are higher than spot), which is typical for gold, it is said to be in contango, which generally reflects the cost of carry.
COMEX (operated by CME Group) and LMEprecious are key market centres for gold futures trading.
