Definition of ‘Commodity Market’

A physical or virtual marketplace for buying, selling and trading raw or primary products. For investors’ purposes there are currently about 50 major commodity markets worldwide that facilitate investment trade in nearly 100 primary commodities.

Commodities are split into two types: hard and soft commodities. Hard commodities are typically natural resources that must be mined or extracted (gold, rubber, oil, etc.), whereas soft commodities are agricultural products or livestock (corn, wheat, coffee, sugar, soybeans, pork, etc.)

There are numerous ways to invest in commodities. An investor can purchase stock in corporations whose business relies on commodities prices, or purchase mutual funds, index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that have a focus on commodities-related companies. The most direct way of investing in commodities is by buying into a futures contract.