Backwardation and Contango

<body onLoad="MM_checkPlugin('Shockwave Flash','','http://www.riskglossary.com/default_nofl.htm',false);return document.MM_returnValue" stylesrc="../_private/template.htm" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#669933" vlink="#000000" alink="#000000"> <div align="left"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="table1"> <tr> <td width="740"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" height="37" id="table2"> <tr> <td height="35" width="100%"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" cellpadding="0" id="table3"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="left" valign="top"> <p class="header_gold">Backwardation and Contango</td> <td width="45" align="right" valign="bottom"> <map name="FPMap6"> <area href="http://www.contingencyanalysis.com" shape="rect" coords="1, 0, 44, 11" target="_top"> </map> <img border="0" src="../images/home.gif" usemap="#FPMap6" width="45" height="12"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#CC9966" height="2"> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_2x2.gif" width="2" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="0%" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFCC"> <table border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" id="table4"> <tr> <td width="0%" align="left" valign="top"> <p class="header2_black">Explained:<br> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_1x100.gif" width="100" height="1"></td> <td width="0%" align="left" valign="top"><p class="word_list"> <a href="#Backwardation">backwardation</a><p class="word_list"> <a href="#Contango">contango</a><br> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_1x160.gif" width="160" height="1"></td> <td width="100%" align="left" valign="top"><p class="word_list"> <br> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_1x160.gif" width="160" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="table5"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="310" align="right" id="table6"> <tr> <td align="right" width="9" height="14"></td> <td width="300" height="14"> <font size="2"> </font><font size="4"> </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="9"> </td> <td width="300"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script>  </td> </tr> </table> <p style="margin-top: 18" class="body"><b><a name="Backwardation">Backwardation</a></b> is a market condition where <a href="../articles/settlement.htm">spot prices</a> exceed <a href="../articles/forward.htm">forward prices</a>. <b> <a name="Contango">Contango</a></b> is the opposite condition, where forward prices exceed spot prices. The terms are most commonly used in oil markets but are also applied in certain commodities and energies markets. In oil markets, the prevailing condition may reflect immediate supply and demand. If crude oil is contango, it may indicate immediately available supply. Backwardation can indicate an immediate shortage. Anything that threatens the steady flow of oil around the world, such as imminent war, tends to drive the oil market into backwardation.</td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="table7"> <tr> <td height="30" valign="bottom" colspan="2"> <p class="header2_black">Related Internal Links</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC9966" height="2"> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_2x2.gif" width="2" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFCC" colspan="2"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" cellpadding="6" id="table8"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p class="explanatory_text"> <img border="0" src="../images/bullet_link_glossary.gif" width="26" height="15"><strong style="font-weight: 400"><a href="../articles/forward.htm">forward contract</a> A </strong>trade that is agreed to at one point in time but will take place at some later time.<p align="left" class="explanatory_text"> <img border="0" src="../images/bullet_link_glossary.gif" width="26" height="15"><a href="../articles/future.htm">future</a> An exchange-traded derivative that is similar to a forward.</p> <p class="explanatory_text"> <img border="0" src="../images/bullet_link_glossary.gif" width="26" height="15"><a href="../articles/settlement.htm">settlement</a> Describes spot and forward settlement, among other topics.</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="30" valign="bottom" colspan="2"> <p class="header2_black">Sponsored Links</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC9966" height="2"> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_2x2.gif" width="2" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFCC" width="75"> <img border="0" src="../images/ad_side_banner_1.jpg" width="103" height="285"></td> <td bgcolor="#FFFFCC" width="99%"> <script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="30" valign="bottom" colspan="2"> <p class="header2_black">Related Books</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC9966" height="2"> <img border="0" src="../images/blank_2x2.gif" width="2" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFCC" colspan="2"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" cellpadding="6" id="table9"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p class="explanatory_text">Fusaro (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.riskbook.com/link/fusaro_p_(1998).htm">1998</a>) is slightly dated, but remains an excellent introduction to world energy markets. 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