Citi’s Energy Outlook For 2013
Considering this year’s rather volatile performance, one thing can be agreed upon by almost all investors – commodity investing is essentially a crap shoot. This year’s unprecedented summer drought and escalated geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have wreaked havoc on commodity markets, leaving some lucky investors with profitable returns and others with steep losses. Overall, however, commodities have been experiencing a steady uptrend for quite some time, as global demand has continuously inched higher despite the recent economic slowdown. In a recent statement, global head of commodities research at Citigroup Edward Morse warned that the “commodity super-cycle” is over and that “no longer will a pure long-only strategy bring the returns expected in 2002 to 2008, nor will conditions approximating those of the last decade return anytime soon” [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Breaking Down the Cost of a Gallon of Gas
The price of a gallon of gasoline ranged from $3.27 along the Gulf Coast, to $3.90 along the West Coast in November 2012; ever wonder how much of that goes to the government and how much goes to exploration and refining companies? Then there are the gas stations and oil traders looking to make a profit as well. Let’s look at the breakdown of who makes what, and also why prices vary across the country – sometimes drastically [for more gasoline news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
5 Legendary Commodity Investors
There was a time when commodities trading was only for the most sophisticated of investors. Whether it’s gold, oil, agricultural products or just a commodity index-based ETF, the world of raw materials trading has expanded tremendously in the past 10 years and is now accessible to the everyday trader. In fact, in September 2012, The Financial Times wrote about the popularity of commodities investing in pension funds of schools and municipal retirement associations [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
13 Ways Corn Is Used In Our Everyday Lives
Corn is most often thought of as a food. Perhaps if you’re an avid cook, you might even think of cornstarch or corn-based food additives, or perhaps those who follow the oil and gas news might think of ethanol. However, recent years have seen this dinner staple’s uses expand greatly. In fact, the bulk of corn that’s produced today does not go to food production. You’re probably using corn in ways that you don’t even realize as you go about your daily business. The countless uses of corn have prompted some interest in corn as an investable asset, and prices have surged in recent years as demand has increased [for more corn new and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Definitive Guide to Fracking
The $6 trillion global energy industry has undergone a lot of changes over its long history, from the first successful oil tanker developed by Sweden in 1878 to the first mobile steel barges for offshore drilling developed by the Texas Company in the early 1930s. But, in the modern era, hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) stands out as the single most important innovation [for more fracking news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Surging Demographic Trends Behind Grain Investing
One of the driving forces behind commodity investing has been the exponential increase in the human population, as demand for these products continues to grow at an alarming rate. Among these commodities, grains are perhaps the most essential, as they are the staple of food products all over the world. Food commodities enjoy relatively inelastic demand; a demand that has been rapidly growing alongside the global population [for more grains news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
