Three Commodities Exhibiting Backwardation
Trading commodities in today’s markets has been nothing short of difficult. While the first quarter was relatively stable, Q2 has been anything but, with volatility returning to markets and unpredictable behaviors becoming the norm. Commodity futures are already volatile on their own, but throw in rocky markets and that effect is amplified. Rather than trying to make a speculative bet on day-to-day movements of commodities, investors can look to profit from backwardated futures curves. Backwardation is the process by which near month futures are more expensive than those expiring further into the future, creating a downward sloping curve for future prices over time [see also Invest Like Jim Rogers With These Three Agriculture Stocks].
China, The 800 lb. Gorilla
A positive GDP number out of China influences commodities today. I think today was an overreaction, but a good sign medium and longer term. Crude picked up 1% today and has quickly pulled away from the very critical $100 mark with prices approaching $104/barrel. I maintain that if we stay below $104 on a settlement basis going into the weekend we will see a sub $100 trade next week. My target remains 97.50 in May futures. I believe, today, the case was the strength in the distillates lifted Crude.
50 Ways To Invest In Agriculture
The agriculture sector has long been a popular place for commodity trading. After all, it was with agricultural futures that commodity trading got its start. Farmers had originally used these contracts to help offset any losses in crop yields. Now, the agricultural space has blossomed into a market chock full of options for investors, but many investors are still unaware of the vast opportunities that this sector offers [see also Invest Like Jim Rogers With These Three Agriculture Stocks]. No matter what kind of investor you are, there is certainly an agriculture/agribusiness option that fits your investment style. Below, we outline 50 ways to invest in agriculture to help investors pick the correct security for their portfolio:
Weekly Agriculture Roundup: Hot Cocoa
Like just about every other asset class, agricultural commodities have been on a wild ride over the last several trading sessions, fluctuating along with equity markets as investors have tried to evaluate the latest news out of Europe. The last week has generally been a strong stretch for agricultural and soft commodities, as a rally in stock markets and return to risky assets has created a wave of moderate optimism among investors. The following table shows the performance of several popular commodity exchange-traded products for the week ended November 8. It should be noted that each of the funds included below utilizes futures contracts to achieve its stated objectives; as such, returns may not be reflective of changes in spot prices:
First Soybeans ETF Debuts: Teucrium Launches SOYB, CANE, WEAT
This article originally appeared on ETFdb.com Teucrium, the company behind the first corn ETF and innovative energy commodity products, doubled the size of its product lineup on Monday with the launch of three new single-commodity funds. Two of the new additions to the fast-growing ETF lineup are first-to-market concepts, while a third will offer exposure to a soft commodity already covered by two iPath ETNs. The new Teucrium products are:
Five Most-Traded Commodity Contracts Of August
August was a tumultuous months for markets across the board. The first ever downgrade of U.S. debts was handed out by S&P while the Fed announced it would be freezing rates for nearly two years. Markets reacted poorly to the headlines through out the month, swaying back forth by as much as 5%. Volume went through the roof as traders made a play to profit on volatile markets, while others pulled their assets and headed for higher ground and safer asset classes [see also Dividend Special: Top Companies In Every Major Commodity Sector].
