A futures contract is a legal agreement to buy or sell a particular commodity asset, or security at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future. This can be an incredibly useful tool for businesses and investors alike, as it allows them to secure prices and plan for the future.For example, if Company A expects that its costs of production will rise in six months, it could enter into a futures contract with Company B today to purchase oil at today's price even though it won't need the oil until six months from now. This would protect Company A from paying more for oil in the future than they agreed to pay today.Similarly, if Investor X believes that stock prices are going to go up soon, she could purchase shares of IBM through a futures contract now and then sell them later when she thinks the price has gone up enough. Futures contracts can be used for all sorts of commodities assets and securities- everything from corn and wheat to gold and silver.