Normal Futures Charts refer to normal, unadjusted, non-continuous data series for specific futures contracts. To create such a chart, begin by selecting the futures market or markets and making other common charting selections as described in the "Futures Charts" topic.
From the center region of the Selecting Data Series screen, click the "Normal" tab, which is the first on the left (see below). Our example shows a selection screen for CBT Corn, CSI #9, symbol C.
Contract Months To Include
If you have entered only one symbol, your first customizable setting is the Contract Months To Include:
The selections represent the list of delivery months that UA will offer for you to choose from. It does NOT select these months for charting automatically. The typical selection is to leave this entry as it is, without changing it.
The default selections (those initially marked with an X) are the delivery months UA's Market Specs Factsheets identify as "normal" trading months. These are the active contracts that are normally traded over the course of the year. They are the ones listed as "V" (for valid) in the Active Months field of the Market Specs. Other months may be available. For example, the Market Specs may list some months as "S" (for switching month). If you want to add other months besides the active ones or delete selected months, click the box over the month. Click [All] at right if you want every possible contract to be available.
When multiple symbols have been entered, all normal, active contracts will be selected automatically, and you will not have the choice of identifying alternative months.
Choosing Normal Contracts
The "Normal" screen lists all normal delivery months for the market(s) you have specified, subject to your choices above:
Click the first column for each contract you wish to chart. Selected contracts are marked with an "X" as shown in the above example, indicating the May 2006 and December 2006 contracts will be charted.
Keep in mind that if you have chosen multiple symbols, each "X" may represent multiple charts. The number of charts that can be charted simultaneously is subject to the charting limit specified as Memory Cache Size in UA Preferences.
As you can see, "Cash" may be available as a "normal" contract, and start and end dates are shown for each available series. The "Last Date" for current contracts reflects the date of your last daily update from CSI.
Scroll through the list using the bar at right to view all available contracts, including historical data of markets that have stopped trading.
Common Settings
Detrending is not recommended for normal contracts. Be sure to adjust the date range and post processing settings (if desired) as described in the "Futures Charts" topic before finishing your selection.
Click [OK] to display your chart(s).
See the Chart Interpretation & Manipulation chapter for information on managing your chart. Consider using the "Save to Portfolio" feature to save your charts for future use.