Natural Gas: Is Now The Time To Make A Play?

Natural gas is one of the most popular commodities in the world and it often ranks among the CME Group’s most traded futures contracts; however, the commodity had been stuck in a rut since the 2008 recession before it finally saw some relief as 2013 opened. From natural gas’s peak to the beginning of the year, the fossil fuel had declined by more than 92%, as a number of macroeconomic factors weighed on the commodity. Just as it finally picked up steam in 2013, NG sputtered into May, dipping more than 9% through the first week of the month [for more natural gas news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Asset Allocation, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Futures, Energy, Natural Gas | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2013 Commodity Trades You Wish You Made

The phrase “hindsight is always 20/20″ is most applicable to investors. There are numerous occasions when traders wish they would have followed their gut or executed a specific position, especially looking back on the gains that certain assets have made. It is relatively easy to make a bold call on a specific asset, but it is much more difficult to follow through with the trade and exit the position at the proper moment. With 2013 already being a wild year in the commodity world, we take a look back at some of the most fruitful trades throughout the industry thus far [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Asset Allocation, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Futures, Commodity Producers, Energy, Gold, Natural Gas, Precious Metals, Silver | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Natural Gas: How To Play The Summer Comeback

It’s been an interesting time for investors in the natural gas space. As hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have become the extraction method of choice for E&P firms, production of the fuel has skyrocketed and led to a surplus of supply and high storage inventories. The huge surpluses have combined with slack demand for the fuel, causing prices to crater. At one point they were below $2 per MMBtu [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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Earnings Preview: Good News For Oil, Bad News For Gold And Copper (SCCO, TRP, NEM, SU)

Earnings season for Q1 2013 is well on its way, with several bellwether commodity stocks already reporting better-than-expected results. Agribusiness giant Monsanto Company (MON) posted earnings that significantly beat out estimates: earnings rose 22%, while profits came in at $1.48 billion. Meanwhile, Halliburton (HAL) reported an unprofitable quarter, though the company added $1 billion to reserves tied to litigation involving the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. Barrick Gold (ABX) also beat analyst expectations, clocking in an EPS of $0.86 [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Commodity Producers, Copper, Earnings, Earnings Reports, Energy, Gold, Industrial Metals, Natural Gas, Precious Metals, WTI | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Big Oil Earnings to Dominate This Week

Crude oil has been among the worst-performing commodities this year as hefty production has combined with a number of other factors to send the fossil fuel lower. That being said, a number of bellwether oil firms will be detailing their most recent quarter’s earnings this week, as investors are anxious to see how lower prices have impacted bottom-line returns. Below, we outline five of the biggest oil firms to report earnings this week, and commodity investors should watch them closely [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Brent Oil, Earnings, Energy, Natural Gas, News and Current Events, WTI | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Crude Oil Set For A Struggle

With the largest single day drop in gold prices dominating the headlines, many consumers have overlooked crude oil’s significant fall in prices as of late. Even without the decline earlier this week, crude has been relatively weak as of late, with few expecting this to change soon.  It seems that the pressure keeping prices at bay is only expected to rise in the coming months and years as this commodity may be slowly losing its dominance [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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5 Must-Watch Commodity Earnings This Week

With Alcoa (AA) kicking off earnings season last week, investors will spend the next few weeks combing through quarterly statements from their favorite commodity firms. Though Alcoa beat EPS estimates and saw a healthy net income, revenue fell short, leaving a somewhat mixed feeling for the stock. What is perhaps more important than the reports themselves is the particular outlook that each company provides; 2013 has been anything but kind to commodities and investors will pay extra attention to forecasts for the near future [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Copper, Energy, Industrial Metals, MLPs, Natural Gas, News and Current Events, WTI | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Natural Gas Catching Fire

High daily volumes coupled with erratic and sometimes unpredictable movements have given natural gas a big name in the commodity world, along with a reputation as a risky investment. With NG jumping more than 20% year-to-date and still climbing, many analysts are looking for a spark behind these gains, and they’re wondering how long the trend will last [for more natural gas news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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2 Independent Oil & Gas Firms On Fire

In the world of oil and gas investing, big names like Exxon Mobil and Chevron are usually what come to mind, as these mega-companies seem to dominate the industry. There are, however, a small subset of companies that have certainly solidified their place in many investors’ portfolios: independent oil and gas. While the market capitalization of these companies may be small, their attractive returns and growth potential warrant a closer look [for more oil and gas news subscribe to our free newsletter]. 

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Dow Commodity Highs: 2007 vs. 2013

With the Dow hitting all-time highs again, it’s worth looking back at the Dow Jones in 2007 and examining what has changed. In the intervening time, it has been a wild ride for commodities. Commodity prices soared in 2008 and 2009 as China rapidly industrialized, with oil moving from about $50 per barrel to over $145 per barrel and copper jumping from about $2.70 per pound to over $4.20 per pound [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Agriculture, Aluminum, Asset Allocation, Commodity Producers, Energy, Industrial Metals, Natural Gas, WTI | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment