spot price

Spot price is the current price at which you can buy or sell an asset for immediate delivery and settlement. Also called the cash price, spot prices typically fluctuate throughout the day due to changing supply, demand, and expectations. The spot price of physical goods will also vary by region due to local supply and demand as well as transportation and storage costs.

In commodities and securities markets—including equities, currencies, and, more recently, cryptocurrencies—the term “spot price” is often contrasted with the price of a contract for delivery at some point in the future (e.g., standardized futures contracts and nonstandardized or “bespoke” forward agreements).

For example, the spot price of corn (a commodity) will typically differ from the price of a futures contract for corn to be delivered six months from now. Nevertheless, derivatives such as futures, forwards, and options contracts base their prices on (or “derive” them from) the spot price of the underlying asset.

In the futures market, the difference between the spot price and the futures price is called the “basis.” The basis reveals whether a derivative is trading at a premium (higher) or discount (lower) compared to the spot price of an asset.

For example, suppose it’s the middle of July, and the spot price for corn in your region (i.e., where you could sell your corn to your local grain elevator) is $4.25 per bushel. If the September futures contract is trading for $4.45 per bushel and the December contract is trading for $4.14 per bushel, then the September basis would be -$0.20, meaning the cash price is 20 cents under the futures price. The December basis would be $0.11, because the spot price is 11 cents higher than the December contract.

Why the difference? Basis reflects what market participants (speculators, farmers, grain processors, and even fund managers) think the future spot price of an asset will be. Both prices will change as the expiration date approaches. In our example, market participants believe that corn will be worth more in September, due perhaps to scarcity of grain from the previous production cycle, costs to store the grain until then, and other factors. By December, participants may be expecting more of a glut, as the new crop is harvested and sent to market.

By the time a futures or forward contract expires, the spot price and the futures/forward prices will come together and meet at the same price point. The spot price may rise to meet the futures price, the futures price may fall to meet the spot price, or both may rise and fall to meet somewhere in between the current price spread, collapsing the basis.