Commodities

Hey dudes, hope all is going well. I noticed Trafigura is hiring for their Trader Accelerator Program. Seems like it could be a great launchpad into trading for relatively junior people currently in non-trading positions or am I mistaken? It seems Traf has had other programs such as International...

25 Jan 2023

I have been in the commodities industry for 6+ years and, as it seems that we are heading into a recession, I want to know your thoughts on the job markets specifically for this industry. I might be looking to move from my current position (I am in a physical and derivatives trading role) pretty...

16 Jan 2023

what are the exit ops/career progression after 2/3yrs of a Finance role at a major commodity trading house? can I move into a trading position at these houses/join commodities desk at an IB?

19 Dec 2022

Anyone have any reviews on working at Macquarie on the NY trading floor? Need some insight on culture, comp - pros and cons. Thanks!

09 Dec 2022

I currently work for one of the largest independent traders and have worked my way up to a Junior Trading role having been through the ranks of operations and deals desk (financial risk). I cover what is considered to be a regional market for the company and although i'm considered to be in a good...

30 Oct 2022

Funemployed mid-30s denizen here, hoping I might benefit from WSO's collective wisdom. This might read like a novel, so I've broken it into a few different chunks. Keen to hear people's thoughts/ideas, constructive criticism, identification of my cognitive blind spots, etc. - many thanks in advance...

06 Oct 2022

A very broad question, but I want to hear about your experiences on what has the best outlook. Where will we see more opportunities? Are there any exciting prospects to look out for?

05 Aug 2022

Simple question, but probably more challenging to answer. What is the path to being a trader at a supermajor / reputable bank or shop (traf, maq, vitol etc.)? I have heard a lot of it is being in the right place at the right time, and trader training programs obviously help. Specifically relating to...

09 Jun 2022

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20 May 2022

I am not 100% sure what I want to do with my life - Energy trading or IB. I have a crude trading internship lined up at a major this summer, and my prospects in the industry seem good for next summer (knock on wood), given I feel confident about a superday I just wrapped up at a certain Australian...

19 Apr 2022

Im in my last year of study and I work as a Sales-Trader Assistant in a bank. I would like to make a career in commo (nothing to do with the recent hype) and I am currently in the process of recruiting for the graduate program at two of the "ABCD". In case I don't make the it, I was wondering what...

15 Apr 2022

Recently managed to secure a role as an Analyst in MO for trading at a global commodities trading house, just looking for opinions on the job, past experiences, references, what can I expect, exit opportunities, tips, prospects on making it into the trading desk, etc. I have experience in financials...

07 Mar 2022

Good evening, Long time passive WSO lurker here that has decided to finally register and engage on the forums. I finished my postgraduate degree towards the end of last year and after several applications and interviews I managed to land a job as a junior trader at a power utility company. I have...

11 Jan 2022

I have a trading internship for a large energy shop lined up this summer and I want to make the most of it to get that coveted full time offer. What should I be doing to prep for said internship (other than just learning about the industry online)? Any specific books or materials I should start...

01 Jan 2022

After reading all the funny posts and comments on this website for so long, I finally need to ask for some help. I'm currently deciding between two offers - one in big tech/FAANG (which is a return offer from junior summer) and the other at a commodities trading firm (ABCD). I was really into...

03 Dec 2021

I know this will likely catch a lot of flack, but I'm really interested in ESG research positions. Wondered if anyone here jumped from IB, ER, consulting, or a similar role to an impact fund or an organization/tech firm doing ESG research + investing. Feels like a natural, more intellectually...

21 Sep 2021

Hi I am interested in starting my career in the physical commodity trading sector however I am wondering what the nature of the work is like. At firms like Trafigura/Vitol/Cargill/Bunge/Glencore, will the job be done behind a computer or is it partly a relationship business. I am very curious.

14 Sep 2021

Hello, I am wondering what traders do we have here on this S&T forum? Physical/Paper: Commodity: Geo:

23 Aug 2021

Got an offer to join a MM commodity desk as a SA and I was wondering what structuring within commodities would entail exactly? Also what skills are gained and possible exit ops are there if one were to start there?

13 Aug 2021

Hi, my dilemma is the following: I joined a commodities trading firm (oil & gas) just three months ago in Switzerland. Had to move from London, which was quite a big move. The salary is really good, the job is challenging and seems to be interesting so far (I'm a trading assistant, fresh graduate),...

22 Jun 2021

Does anyone know what the trading arms of Chinese oil companies (CNPC, CNOOC, Shaanxi Yanchang, Sinochem, ect.) are like compared to the majors or trading houses. Curious since the last chapter of The World For Sale mentioned that they take on more risk and trade with US sanctioned countries.

12 Apr 2021

Hey guys, Wondering if you guys have come across a good reference material or a book on explaining the fundamentals of all market products (i.e., FX, rates, commodities, etc.) that are sold to financial institutions and corporates. I don't need to know the exact mathematical details on pricing or...

16 Jan 2021

Hi All, So it seems the energy risk professional qualification is in its final year...Is there anything else which could fill this space? At the moment CFA® and the FRM qualifications looks somewhat relevant but the time invested in these roles might be better spent developing other skills i.e...

12 Jan 2021

Maybe it's because it's more of a Euro bank thing but I don't think I have ever seen commodity trade finance discussed on WSO aside from somebody asking about a job opportunity years ago. It's one of my default recommendations for people looking for internships before applying to physical trading...

20 Jul 2020

Crossposting from Job forum. I graduated this spring from a top tier university that is more known for its med school than anything else. Due to personal obligations , I stayed at home in the south during summers working blue collar jobs rather than pursuing finance internships. I am really...

25 Jun 2020

Hi all, I have been searching throughout WSO for help and information on physical commodities so I thought maybe by posting here people may point me in the right direction ! last year I applied and got the the final round of the Trafigura grad program based in Geneva. To say I was gutted not to get...

13 Jun 2020

Does anyone know anything about this firm? was recently contacted by them, but I couldn't find much information about them on the internet.

12 May 2020

I am a traffic rep/scheduler at a mid-sized O&G marketing/producer services shop. My feedback reviews from the higher-ups have always been very positive, and I think I'm making inroads in that regard. My eventual goal is to become a trader. I have been in this job for about 2 years now; I worked as...

07 Apr 2020

What are salary ranges for a position at an international physical metals trading firm to coordinate all operations to ensure fulfillment after a trade is sealed? Experience level 1-3 years at a physical commodities firm (not necessarily metals). .

28 Mar 2020

Hi guys, I just got an offer from an Oil Major as an crude oil analyst, my tasks are: - updating data basis of counterparts of the firm (their credit rate...) - writing financial & market analyses about crude oil, its production etc. - writing notes and geographical analyses (North sea, Russia,...

09 Mar 2020

Hey guys, I have been reading the forum here for a while but this is my first question. I am trying to figure out (for an assignment) the price some FTRs (Financial Transmission Rights) were sold. Here is an example of the data I have. I am supposed to figure out the price that these FTRs were sold....

11 Jan 2020

Well, it's been some months that I browse this resourceful website and I should say, I need some advices. I'm an undergraduated student in a Msc in finance in a target european business school, I am president of the finance association, wrote dozen of financial analysis invested in stock markets. I...

03 Jan 2020

This is the only forum where I was able to find and read posts from actual physical commodities traders and I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on starting commodities trading business (a physical commodity trading company) with $20k. For the sake of argument, let's say I have covered my...

02 Dec 2019

What is the best ABCD agricultural trading firm? This in terms of long term compensation, prestige, growth opportunities and long term resume build. Also is there a particular Agricultural product that is best to start with straight out of college or one to avoid? On another note perhaps a seperate...

09 Nov 2019

I recently interviewed at the Citi Commodities Analyst program. It has been 2 weeks already and I haven't heard anything back. Did anyone else already interviewed for this position before? Definitely would like to hear your thoughts or share any intelligence.

04 Oct 2019

The CCS is able to provide reliable service in full range of cargo inspections all over Ukraine as well the vessel survey inspections and supervision at the loading place in the Seaports. We are ready to offer comprehensive service and competitive rates due to operating with The CCS is able to...

24 Sep 2019

Hi all, looking for some advice on possible career paths in physical trading/commodities shops in APAC. I'm specifically interested in ops roles, and might even be interested in ops long-term, but from what I've seen most opportunities in any capacity are in EU/US, which isn't an option right now...

29 Jun 2019

I´ve been recently tasked to handle some of the trades of the Chairman of the company I work for. I'm new to commodities trading and I was wondering where could I learn more about the topic. He usually trades futures in the NY and London Coffee Markets. I´ll appreciate your help.

13 Jun 2019

Hi Al, I've recently been offered a analyst role with a cargo-tracking (commodities) intelligence firm (eg: Genscape, Vortexa). My role involves managing huge datasets, market analysis and sales support. What do you think of career development opportunities in this role in general? Thanks!

15 Apr 2019

Hello everyone, This may be a long shot but does anyone in our community have experience with *consignment leasing facilities *for commodities. I'm thinking precious metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, other PGMs, etc.) and other high volatility assets that companies hold on their balance sheet...

09 Apr 2019

What commodities are best to trade in the mid/long term? Talking about physical trading at Glencore, Vitol, Trafigura...etc Currently an undergrad in Europe and I have the opportunity to work part-time as an assistant LNG or Copper trader. Physical, not paper trading. I will probably chose the LNG...

07 Apr 2019

Looking for a brief overview of the trading done at big commodity shops like the companies listed in the title. What is compensation like (does it rival I.B.)? How often does a trader travel? Do they give internships/training programs out of university or do most people work at a big oil company...

30 Mar 2019

Hi, long time lurker, first time poster and so on. I've got an interview for a commodity corporate sales team coming up. Can someone shed some light on the technicals one might expect? I assume there will be a lot of stuff on hedging and structuring (this being a corporate role), so brushing up on...

14 Feb 2019

Hey everyone, I have an interview coming up with Traxys for Commodities Trading and Logistics. I just wanted to know if anyone has some insight about the firm, and how you think an internship there would look on a resume, as I couldn't find anything on here. I know they work with strictly metals and...

08 Jan 2019

I'm curious if anyone knows which teams and desks within Macquarie's Commodities and Global Merkets group are performing well right now. Or if anyone has any recommendations for someone with an upcoming rotational internship on which functions/teams to request. Thank you!

13 Dec 2018

Hello everyone. I need advice from people in Commodity Trading. I have been offered a role of Marine Coordinator/Operator at a Super Major. I have also interned in Risk for another Super Major. I want to work as a trader in commodities in the future and know that operations knowledge is very useful...

29 Nov 2018

Hi all, To start this story, I started my senior year of school with no real experience, and was attending a non target school in NYC with a average GPA. I didn't know what I wanted to do after graduating, all I knew is that I wanted to do something in business. At the start of my senior year, I was...

29 Aug 2018

I've been on my desk (metals) for two years. I like it here, i still feel like i'm learning, and i do think i could have a successful career here into the future. I don't want to name names but it is considered in the top tier in commodities. However, i have an opportunity to move to a top trading...

11 May 2018

Hi all. I'm a university student looking to breaking into physical commodity trading. Hoping some current or former traders would be happy to chronologically run me through a typical "trade" or "deal," covering pricing, logistics, finance etc. Would also be interesting to hear, seperatley, how...

29 Jul 2018

Hi. Advice needed for project ideas on commodity trading. For example, I have built macros to price vanilla options as well as option strategies and calculate and chart their Greeks. I'm seeking something of this sort ( programming involved or not) that I can pursue as a personal project related to...

20 Jun 2018