How to build a futures forward curve chart

What is a forward curve?

A futures forward curve plots the prices of futures contracts at different delivery dates. When near-month contracts are cheaper than far-month (upward sloping), the market is in contango. When near-month is more expensive (downward sloping), it's backwardation.

Reading the curve

The shape of the forward curve tells you about supply/demand dynamics, storage costs, and market expectations. An oil curve in steep contango suggests oversupply and high storage costs. Backwardation suggests tight supply.

Building it in Quadesto

Connect to any futures data source (Databento, CME, or CSV) with contract month and price columns. Quadesto plots the curve with multiple historical snapshots overlaid.