In this series, we cover the essentials to ensure that you can hit the ground running.
In the fourth video of this series, let's jump into Sparta's seasonals.
Sparta Curves: Seasonals Overview
Welcome to the fourth part of the Sparta Curves onboarding series. In this module, we’ll explore Seasonals, a powerful tool designed to help you analyze historical price patterns and improve trade timing and positioning.
What Are Seasonals?
Seasonal charting allows you to see how a specific product has historically performed during the same period each year. It’s particularly useful for identifying recurring market behaviors or deviations from historical norms.
There are two key display modes:
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Year-by-Year View: Plots each year individually for side-by-side comparison
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Statistical View: Shows a consolidated range with high, low, and average prices across multiple years
These views help place current pricing in historical context—essential for spotting seasonal highs, lows, or anomalies.
Customizing the Analysis
Use the year toggle to control which years are displayed. You can:
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Focus on specific years relevant to your market thesis
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Exclude outliers or years with abnormal volatility
For example, viewing the March tenor of the ICE Gas Oil Swap, you may see that current prices are near a 4-year seasonal low—an insight that could influence your trade entry strategy.
Relative Performance Table
To support deeper analysis, Sparta includes a Relative Performance Over Time table right next to the seasonal chart. This shows the average historical return based on when a position was entered.
Example:
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Entering the March contract in April has historically yielded an average gain of $4.38
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Entering the same contract in November has historically produced an average loss of $43—a sign of seasonal weakness
Daily & Monthly High/Low Stats
At the bottom of the Seasonals module, you’ll find daily and monthly high/low statistics, which offer a clear picture of intramonth volatility and typical price ranges.
Integrated, Contextual Insight
When used within Custom Charts, Seasonals give you a complete perspective by combining:
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Historical behavior
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Real-time prices
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Forward-looking market data
This empowers you to make more confident, data-driven trading decisions.
Need Help?
Reach out via in-app chat or email success@spartacommodities.com with any questions.