Businesses and individual traders trade metal futures mainly to profit from, or hedge themselves from price fluctuations of the underlying metals. Producers and manufacturers, such as companies involved in manufacturing or mining industries, use metal futures for managing or moderating risk and hedging raw material costs and finished product revenues against adverse price movements. Individual traders or speculators trade metal futures to speculate on the commodity price fluctuations.

• Liquid financial instruments that are standardised by quality and quantity.
• Cost-efficient trading and risk management opportunities.
• Metal futures prices are widely and instantaneously disseminated, serving as world reference prices.
• Metal futures markets allow hedgers and investors to trade anonymously through futures brokers.
• Rigorous financial standards and surveillance procedures by the exchanges ensure safe, fair, and orderly markets