The Commodity Futures Market and the Private Investor: Speculative Opportunity or Gambling

Abstract

This paper has been written to meet and satisfy the requirements of MBA 299, Independent Study and Research. The subject matter was approached and treated as objectively as possible. There was no attempt to make moral judgements on the rightness or wrongness of gambling and speculation and hopefully none was implied. The research done was about equally divided between the library and the field. A check of the footnote references and the bibliography will indicate that most of the library research was done in connection with the commodity market, a subject about which the writer had little or no knowledge. The field research done on the gambling aspects, consisted mostly of drawing on a store of knowledge accumulated over a period of years. | The field research done in the commodity market consisted solely in the taking and the liquidating of a short position in frozen pork bellies. This research project fortunately, resulted in the writer making a small profit. Hopefully, the experience gained in this area will enable the writer in the future, to make other equally profitable ventures.