Oil futures are extremely useful for shorter-term traders that wish to capitalize on price swings in the oil markets. Oil futures markets track the underlying price of crude oil closely and are one of the most liquid markets in the world.

Oil investments may have once been dominated by the wealthy oil barons and moguls, but those times are long gone. There are now a multitude of options for the investor interested in this key commodity.

The technology sector is continuing with its takeover of the broader market with the recent announcement of Exxon, Raytheon, and Pfizer being removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index.

An oil shock took the world by storm reaching negative $38/barrel, U.S. markets were calm, U.S. equities posted modest gains and jobless claims on the rise.