I have a few questions:
For example I am going LONG on ES1! with leverage. I don't acquire an actual S&P 500 fund but as how futures work I just have a contract that I believe its price is going to go up. Does my initial LONG position influence an actual price of S&P 500? Or it does so only after I close out my position and settle for that difference?
If it does influence price then how differently with cash settled or asset settled futures influence price?
To be more precise I am curious how price is influenced by longing on futures if you don't actually buy that stock, commodity, currency or whatever. How does price inflate then if you don't actually put money in it you just make a contract that you will pay money if needed?