Im looking at GC02-17 on NT and there is nothing in terms of volume. I would have imagined that gold futures would look fatter than this..am I looking at the right contract?

Barchart shows that Feb and March contracts have almost zero volume while April is killing it with 71,000 volume.
https://www.barchart.com/futures/quotes/GC*0/all-futures

I feel like Im the only one on the playground and all the other kids are having fun somewhere else without me.
If I am looking at the wrong contract then how do I get onto the right one?

Thanks.

Grantx 

Im looking at GC02-17 on NT and there is nothing in terms of volume. I would have imagined that gold futures would look fatter than this..am I looking at the right contract? Barchart shows that Feb and March contracts have almost zero volume while April is killing it with 71,000 volume. https://www.barchart.com/futures/quotes/GC*0/all-futures I feel like Im the only one on the playground and all the other kids are having fun somewhere else without me. If I am looking at the wrong contract then how do I get onto the right one? Thanks.

Current contract is April, so that is where you want to be. But Gold is a weird market. I notice a TON of slippage sometimes - up to $200 (2 points) per contract. You'll see orders up, and then poof they are all gone. I do not see this in other markets.

kevinkdog 

You'll see orders up, and then poof they are all gone.

Happened this morning. I briefly looked at DOM then back at the chart and price had instantly decided to be somewhere else with the ferocity of 1000 suns. Dont think Ill be playing on gold market.

I have that as part of my check-list to verify where the volume is (aka front month).

In terms of volume and open interest, gold is one of the most actively traded non-financials futures markets out there. Not as active as crude, but still bigger than most.

https://www.cmegroup.com/market-data/volume-open-interest/exchange-volume.html

It is, however, thin enough that it can get pushed around by some of the bigger players. And since it *can* get pushed around, it *does* get pushed around. That said, it moves, and for a retail trader, it can present some nice opportunities from time to time, especially when one of those big boys gets in over his head.