When I first started trading, I read several books. One was an anthology of interviews with 15 successful traders.
Each trader had his/her own way of entering and exiting trades. Some traded currencies or bonds, others traded sugar and cocoa, some the S&P or grains, etc.
One question the author asked each of them is: Are there any futures contracts you avoid trading at all costs? This was the one question that all 15 traders were in total agreement on, and each gave the same answer. Hogs and cattle.
One said that a mentor advised him early on: "Trade meat, and you'll end up in the street."
The reason I threw this question out for discussion is that there are some folks (both in the CME livestock pits and at their own PCs) who trade these contracts every day, so someone has to be making consistent profits as speculators. I've just never encountered one in real life or in any blog.
The funny part is, there are some who've posted here over the years who have boasted about making a lot of money trading grains and energy futures, as well as a few cotton and sugar traders. A few of these people have no doubt lied or exaggerated about their gains.
But I have yet to see one post from anyone (here on AgWeb or elsewhere) who ever said he made a dime trading October cattle or December hogs.
Do you want to personally make money trading them or make money on the trade of them. I would say the best meat traders are those with McVean investments. Dave/midmo has done quite well with them and do not put you completely at risk. As a disclaimer worked with them in late 70's and early 80's and hired from one of the best cotton traders, Mississippi River Investments (I think). It would be Bondurant futures otherwise. These markets are quite complex with all of the valuations and computer alogrithms at work to spend the time to think you can be successful. Meats have less risk for worldwide volatility. I always thought it easier to make money in meats and father had told me to buy beans in 1971 at $2.53/bu and said would go to $3.50. I was dissauded for corn blight in Iowa and buying hogs at $18/cwt. Hogs went to $16 and corn blight not much of an issue at $1.10/bu and beans went to $3.53. I would suggest going with someone who knows what at work. That was the first lesson of commodity trading do not listen to everyone else. In the event you so interested in trading I would suggest getting the book Reminisnces of a Stock Operator. It is the story of Jesse Livermore and Tom Ditmer gave it to me when I went to work for Refco. In the event have no idea what you are doing, I would suggest not trade.
If you are not comfortable with cattle trading then why not give a thought to trading with futures and commodities? There is a good scope in trading with futures and commodities and people have got excellent returns from this market. So, i suggest give it a try and you could make good profits with the forex trading software.
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