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Trade Your View on Economic and Climate Indicators
IBKR ForecastTrader lets you use exchange-listed Forecast Contracts to trade your opinion on yes-or-no questions on economic and climate indicators.
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Trade Forecast Contracts from ForecastEx
ForecastEx lists Forecast Contracts on economic and climate indicators.
ForecastEx Forecast Contracts
Forecast Contracts let you trade on the probabilities associated with the future outcomes of economic and climate indicators. Economic indicators include Unemployment Claims, the Consumer Price Index, Retail Sales, Fed Funds, Housing Starts and many others. Climate indicators include temperatures and atmospheric CO2.
To trade, simply choose YES or NO on a Forecast Contract.
Gain Exposure
While Limiting Risk
Forecast Contracts provide exposure to economic and climate indicators while limiting your risk because the max loss on each contract is limited to the price paid for the contract.
For each Forecast Contract you hold that expires “in the money”, in reference to the underlying settlement value, you receive a fixed payout of USD 1.00. Your max profit per contract is USD 1.00 minus the contract cost, fees and commissions. Forecast Contracts are priced between USD 0.02 to USD 0.99 per contract and quoted in USD 0.01 increments.
Zero Commissions on Forecast Contracts
Forecast Contracts are offered at zero-commission at Interactive Brokers.
Forecast Contracts Offer an Incentive Coupon – Current Rate Is 4.33% APY
Forecast Contracts pay an incentive coupon based on the closing market value of the positions. The incentive coupon accrues daily and is paid monthly. Incentive coupons are currently paid at a rate of 4.33% APY.
Example: If you purchase a position at USD 0.50 and the market closes at USD 0.50, the daily incentive coupon will be based on USD 0.50. If, on the following day, the market for the same contract closes at USD 0.70, the daily incentive coupon will be based on USD 0.70.
CME Event Contracts
CME Event Contracts let you express your view on whether the price of key futures markets will move up or down by the end of each day's trading session. You can select from CME listed event contracts in the Equity Index, Energy, Metals and Foreign currency futures markets. CME Event Contracts are short-term positions good for that trading day only.
To trade, simply choose YES or NO on an event contract.
Gain Exposure
While Limiting Risk
Event Contracts provide exposure to key futures markets while limiting your risk because the most you can lose on each contract is the price you pay for the contract.
For each Event Contract you hold that expires “in the money”, in reference to the underlying futures settlement price, you receive a fixed payout of USD 100.00. Your max profit per contract is USD 100.00 minus the contract cost, fees and commissions. Event Contracts are priced between USD 1.00 to USD 99.00 per contract and quoted in USD 1.00 increments.
Interactive Brokers offers a low, transparent commission of just USD 0.10 per Event Contract.
Access Forecast Contracts Across Our Professional Platforms
Use our desktop, mobile and online trading platforms to monitor your existing positions or search for new Forecast contracts. Searching 'US Real GDP' or 'Fed Funds Target' finds the contract, then clicking the search result provides links to our Forecast contract trading platform. Toggling between trading platforms is seamless with no need to log in or out as you move between them. For detailed info on accessing Forecast Contracts on TWS, IBKR Mobile and Client Portal, see below under "Already an Interactive Brokers Client?
Interested in Trading Forecast Contracts
at Interactive Brokers?
Getting Started with Forecast Contracts
Already an Interactive Brokers Client?
Interactive Brokers clients can use their existing login credentials to access IBKR ForecastTrader. If you already have Futures trading permission, you are permissioned for Forecast Contracts.
If you do not have Futures trading permission but would like to trade Forecast Contracts:
- Log in to Portal
- Select User ("head/shoulders") > Settings
- Under Trading, select Trading Permissions
- Select Forecast and Event Contracts – Request
- Select Request Permissions
- Read and acknowledge legal documents and disclosures
- Select OK
Trading permissions are usually approved overnight.
New to Interactive Brokers? Open an Account.
Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR) is an automated global electronic broker that serves individual investors, hedge funds, proprietary trading groups, registered investment advisors and introducing brokers.
Our four-decade focus on technology and automation allows us to provide our clients with a uniquely sophisticated, low-cost global platform for managing investments.
Our clients enjoy low-cost access to stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds and funds from a single unified platform.
Trading on IBKR ForecastTrader
- Log in to IBKR ForecastTrader
- Select a Forecast Contract
- Click on YES or NO to trade
- To search for Forecast Contracts, select the Markets menu and enter a description of a product
(e.g., "Fed" for Fed Fund Rate, "cons" for Consumer Price Index, etc.)
Trading Forecast Contracts on Other Trading Platforms
Forecast Contract positions are available for review from any of our trading platforms.
You can also seamlessly access IBKR ForecastTrader from our other trading platforms. Click a trading platform to learn how.
, select Search, enter description for product (e.g., "temperature") and press Return > Event & Forecast Contracts. To navigate back to IBKR Mobile, select the User ("head/shoulders" icon ) > IBKR Mobile menu item. Forecast Contracts are only available to eligible clients of Interactive Brokers LLC, Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited, and Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd.