The "Annualized Spot-Future Difference" indicator (ASFD) compares the closing prices of a futures contract and its underlying spot asset. It calculates the price difference between the two instruments and annualizes this difference to provide a standardized measure for comparison.
The indicator takes inputs for the futures ticker symbol and the spot ticker symbol, allowing flexibility in selecting the specific assets for analysis. Additionally, it allows the user to input the contract date, which represents the expiration date of the futures contract.
The ASFD indicator plots the annualized difference between the futures and spot prices. It calculates the price difference by subtracting the spot price from the futures price. To annualize this difference, it considers the remaining days to the contract expiration and scales the difference accordingly.
The annualized difference can provide insights into market expectations, as it reflects the market's perception of the future price movement of the underlying asset. A positive value indicates that the futures price is higher than the spot price, potentially suggesting bullish sentiment. Conversely, a negative value suggests bearish sentiment, with the futures price lower than the spot price.
Traders and analysts can utilize the ASFD indicator to identify potential opportunities for arbitrage or evaluate market sentiment regarding the underlying asset. By monitoring changes in the annualized difference over time, they can gain insights into market dynamics and make informed trading decisions.
It's important to note that the ASFD indicator relies on accurate and up-to-date pricing data for both the futures and spot assets. Traders should verify that the selected ticker symbols correspond to the desired instruments and ensure that the contract date aligns with the relevant futures contract expiration.
Overall, the ASFD indicator provides a quantitative measure of the annualized price difference between futures and spot assets, enabling traders and analysts to assess market expectations and identify potential trading opportunities.