Would you like to trade aluminum, copper, tin, nickel, zinc, lead, etc futures on IB? Right now you can't! IB does not have these contracts available though I had contact with the customer service rep and that person said if there was enough demand they would consider adding the London Metals Exchange (LME) which would allow you to trade all these products and more. This seems like a big hole in the product offering of a broker that claims to trade the worlds markets. I do think IB is a great broker, but for me I have strategies that would benefit from trading metals. If you'd like to be able to trade metal futures please respond to this thread AND if you're an IB customer please contact their representatives to show your interest. Thank you!
Thanks for the thread. My +1 to the request. I would like to trade these contracts on LME, if IB can become LME member. I had this conversation with them 4 years back when I wanted to trade lead and tin and they gave me the same response that if there is enough demand. I really am not sure what is the correct media that will influence them to actually add LME products- not sure if telling customer rep or this thread on ET will actually get this thing done?? Its pretty clear that LME being the world's largest metals exchange should have been available with IB. Since its not available, means there must be some big problem somewhere in the background from IB's perspective and thats why they did not add this exchange. Dev/other IB folks - you may want to weigh in on this discussion. Thanks.
Good points. I'm not sure of the correct media either, but this forum (and the IB forum) seem like as good a place to start as any. Its possible that there is something in the background, but who knows right? Only thing is that we can demonstrate our interest since its relatively low cost in terms of time/money and see where it goes from there. unbroken
the lme is a market where you need to adjust your position at some dates, ex today the 3 month date is the 17 of january, and the adjustements to some dates need to be traded over the phone, it is a very opaque market, lme brokers make a lot of money with the adjustements, they do not want those to be ellectronically traded
what do you mean? Are you saying lme is not a screen based market? What exactly is adustments, can you explain it more clearly? So, is it not like globex where I can put out limit orders depending on bid-ask and market depth I see on screen and get filled and lateron I can close those positions with another limit order? Or do I have to call someone anytime I want to trade?
let me give you an example, on the lme, you can trade by phone, price and quantity given by brokers, on the pit and on select (screen), the most liquid contract is the three month contract, ex : on friday you bought 1 three month copper contract, there is a date attached with this contract, on friday the date was the 17 of january 2014, (the date of the day you trade plus 3 months), today (monday 21st) you want to sell the contract you bought friday, today the three month date is the 21 st of january 2014, so you sell you contract but you need to adjust it to the date of friday three month and this adjustments can not be done electronically, you need to call the broker and ask for and adjustement to the 17of january 2014. hope this can help
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% a]T hanks for the info,aluminium, copper, lead[silver, steel gold,]; ALL benefit from more markets] z] Frankly I don't know if lead will get more markets?? Jim Rogers was actually mostly bullish on lead in his 2004 book[my read,plus his inflation adjusted charts], plenty of UP moves like he figured. MO, USA '' doe run'' mine shut down, by a out of control EPA recently.Many of the lead trends are down, 90 days lead LME trend is down. Good downtrends, with US elections ; doe run mine may open again ; could be more markets for lead...............................................................................................................................................................................................Not a prediction simply probabilities