CBOT Soybean futures (ticker symbol ZS) give you an easy, liquid tool to seek to profit from or hedge against price movements for one of the world’s most widely grown crops.
Individuals traders, grain elevators, farmers, investors and commercial firms are among those around the world using this fully electronic contract to manage risk, seek rewards and/or diversify portfolios.
Today, our futures offer the most active, liquid and vibrant global markets for soybeans.
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), home of the global grains and oilseeds marketplace, is one of four U.S. exchanges operated by CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace.
Soybean Futures (ZS)
View Full Contract SpecsContract Month |
F, H, K, N, Q, U, X (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov) |
Product Symbol |
ZS |
Price Quotation |
U.S. dollars and cents per bushel |
Trading Hours |
Sunday–Friday, 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 a.m. CT and Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. CT |
Options Available |
Yes |
Contract Size |
5,000 bushels |
Minimum Tick |
0.0025 |
Dollar Value of One Tick |
$12.50 |
| Product | Last | Change | Chart | Globex Vol |
|---|
The world produced over 12 billion bushels of soybeans in the 2017/18 crop year, yet 21 times that traded on the futures exchange.
The USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report gives traders an opportunity to take a market view around the report release and take action in the futures market, around two main crops.
Trade around the ‘new crop’ of the Northern Hemisphere in November and the South American new crop in May.
Leading liquidity
With over 200,000 contracts traded on average per day and peaks in OI nearing 900,000, enter/exit positions with ease
Flexible trade execution
Access liquidity via central limit order book, block trades, or RFC
Safety and security
Mitigate counterparty credit risk in a centrally cleared, CFTC-regulated marketplace
Overnight electronic access
Manage positions during EMEA and APAC business hours as market-moving global news & events unfold
Futures leverage
Control a larger notional value for a relatively small amount of money, enhancing your buying power
Weather With the two major world crops that are harvested six months apart, weather is of significant concern year-round
Monthly USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report This comprehensive forecast often shifts the soybean market in an unexpected direction
USDA Prospective Plantings Report The first indication of whether planted acres will go to corn versus soybeans in the Midwest
Grain Stocks Reports Issued 4 times per year by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS); offer updates on stocks of soybeans and other major grain & oilseed crops by state and by position (on- or off-farm storage)
Crop Production reports Outlining acreage, area harvested, and yield; soybean traders use this report to stay attuned to large fluctuations in supply
Check out the "Learn about Key Economic Events" course and economic release calendar at the CME Institute to learn more.
Find all the resources to get started – introductory courses, trading tools and simulators, latest research and market commentary:
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