Unlike the physical markets, futures markets trade in futures contracts which are primarily used for risk management (hedging) on commodity stocks or forward (physical market) purchases and sales. Futures contracts are mostly offset before their maturity and, therefore, scarcely end in deliveries. Speculators also use these futures contracts to benefit from changes in prices and are hardly interested in either taking or receiving deliveries of goods.

What is price risk management? How does a commodity futures market perform this economic function?

The two major economic functions of a commodity futures market are price risk management and price discovery. Among these, the price risk management is by far the most important, and is the backbone of a commodity futures market. The need for price risk management, through what is commonly called "hedging", arises from price risks in most commodities. The larger, the more frequent and the more unforeseen is the price variability in a commodity, the greater is the price risk in it. Whereas insurance companies offer suitable policies to cover the risks of physical commodity losses due to fire, pilferage, transport mishaps, etc., they do not cover similarly the risks of value losses resulting from adverse price variations. The reason for this is obvious. The value losses emerging from price risks are much larger and the probability of the recurrence is far more frequent than the physical losses in both the quantity and quality of goods caused by accidental fires and mishaps, or occasional thefts.