Traditionally, a term referring to a central marketplace where futures contracts and options on futures contracts are traded. More recently, with the growth in electronic trading, it is also used to describe the activity of futures trading itself.
Investopedia Says:
The largest futures exchange in the U.S., the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, was formed in the late 1890s when the only futures contracts offered were for agricultural products. The 1970s saw the emergence of currency futures in major currencies. Today's futures exchanges are significantly larger, with hedging of financial instruments via futures comprising the majority of the futures market activity. Futures exchanges play an important role in the operation of the global financial system.
Related Links:
For those who are new to futures but want a solid understanding of them, this tutorial explains what futures contracts are, how they work and why investors use them. Futures Fundamentals
Learn how to read the volume reports, look at the relation to liquidity and interpret volume using open interest. Interpreting Volume for the Futures Market
There's one simple hurdle in the transition from stock to futures options: learning about product specifications. Becoming Fluent in Options on Futures
Learn how these futures are used for hedging and speculating, and how they are different from traditional futures. Getting Started in Foreign Exchange Futures
We examine various ways in which companies use derivatives to manage risk. Corporate Use Of Derivatives For Hedging
