Futures markets originated as a way for producers to stabilize their income and/or raw material supply amid market fluctuations, but it soon grew into a way for speculators to bet on the direction of a given commodity. These two market forces interact to create the futures markets that we know today and each plays a critical role in the market’s dynamics [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter ]. See the full story here → Related Posts: How Much Money Your Favorite Commodity ETFs Make Five Commodity ETFs Long Term Investors Should Run Away From Faber Warns of Profit Taking in Gold, Other Commodities 100 Insightful Futures Traders Worth Following on Twitter 10 Commodity ETFs with Monster Inflows in 2012