Cost of carry
Cost of carry describes financing, storage, income and other disclosed components used to relate spot and forward or futures prices.
Plain-language meaning
Cost of carry describes financing, storage, income and other disclosed components used to relate spot and forward or futures prices.
Why it is useful
Cost of carry is useful as descriptive evidence when it is compared on the same definition, source, period, unit and exact listing. It is one input to research, not a verdict.
Where it appears in XMarketRadar
Look for Cost of carry in Futures, Option Chain, Options Screener and derivative study tables for a selected underlying and contract.
How it is calculated or sourced
Cost of carry is sourced or derived according to the definition shown above and the screen's disclosed provider, inputs, window and as-of time. Missing required inputs produce an unavailable result.
Inputs, period and unit
Read the disclosed inputs or source, observation period, bar interval, unit, native currency and scale. A value without its source and as-of context is incomplete; unlike units must not be combined.
Worked example
Illustrative only: a user reviews Cost of carry over a stated 20-bar or FY2026 period, checks the displayed source, unit and as-of date, and keeps an absent field as — rather than guessing 0.
What high and low mean
A higher or lower Cost of carry value is descriptive, not automatically good or bad. Meaning depends on the instrument, comparison period, method and related evidence.
Positive, negative and genuine zero
Positive and negative Cost of carry values retain the definition shown here. A genuine reported or computed zero is displayed as 0 and is not the same as missing evidence.
Limitations and common mistakes
Cost of carry may differ by provider definition, observation time, instrument and venue. Common mistakes are dropping units or dates, comparing unlike scopes, and treating a missing value as zero.
Market-specific differences
Contract size, exercise style, expiry, settlement, price unit and trading rules vary across all supported markets. Always use the selected contract specification.
Suggested next steps
Open the related Derivatives terms below, then follow the matching Help Centre task guide and inspect Cost of carry on an exact exchange listing. Confirm source, as-of time, units and unavailable reason before using it in research.
Educational information only; not investment advice or an order service.
This Cost of carry tutorial is educational and descriptive. It is not investment advice, a price prediction, a recommendation, or an instruction to buy, sell, rebalance or place an order.