CommodityHQ.com provides weekly information about any material impact of a major economic, corporate and/or geopolitical event on the global commodities market. The report also analyzes the weekly change in prices of the major commodity futures and commodity-focused ETFs as a result of market changing events and trends. This report covers events and analysis for the week of Dec.14 to Dec.20.
- Crude oil prices rose higher this week after a fifth straight-week of falling inventories.
- Gold prices ticked higher this week on a weaker U.S. dollar ahead of a major tax-reform bill.
- Copper prices continued to gain this week on higher consumer Chinese demand.
- Be sure to check out our previous article to keep in touch with the events happening in the commodities space.
Weekly Market Wrap-up
Energy – Crude oil prices gained after the fifth consecutive-week of falling inventories, while natural gas prices dropped on weak winter weather expectations.
- Oil – A fall in crude oil inventories for the fifth straight week helped oil prices rise to $58.09 a barrel.
- Natural Gas – Natural gas prices continued to plummet this week to $2.62 per million British thermal units on weak winter weather forecasts.
- Gasoline – Slowing demand dragged down gasoline prices to a three-month low, while inventories ticked slightly higher.
Metals – Strong consumer demand in China led to further strength in copper, which ended the week at a three-week high of $3.139 a pound.
- Precious Metals – A weaker U.S. dollar ahead of a major tax-reform bill helped lift gold prices this week to $1,268.70 a troy ounce.
- Other – Platinum prices rose to $893.90 an ounce on investor speculation.
Grains – Winter weather concerns drove wheat futures to a two-week high of $4.24-1/2 a bushel.
- Corn and Soybeans – Rainy weather in Brazil and Argentina lifted soybean prices to $9.54-3/4 per bushel.
Softs – Raw sugar prices rose to $13.84 cents per lb fueled mainly by short-covering activity in the markets.
If you are wondering which commodity might be right for you, check out our Commodity Investing Database.
Weekly Movement Across Commodity Futures
For this week, we analyzed all commodities by weekly performance and listed the top three performers by weekly percentage gain. All commodities were taken into account and analyzed from a performance perspective in order to find the top three.
You can use ETFdb.com’s Screener to see a complete list of commodity ETFs.
| Commodity | Weekly Gain (%) | Contract Expiration | Contract Price (as of December 20) | 52-Week Price Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.48% | $381.30 | $353.3 - $564.9 | ||
| 4.59% | 03/18/17 | $3.20 | $2.448 - $3.228 | |
| 4.12% | 01/18/17 | $921.35 | $872.65 - $1,047.7 |
This week’s best-commodity performer was London Sugar thanks to short-covering activity by futures traders. Copper continued to rise on boosted Chinese demand, while platinum rose on further investor speculation.
Weekly Commodity ETF Movers
For ETF investors, we tracked the top three biggest gainers and top three biggest losers for the past week. Not included are ETNs, which behave differently than ETFs, as well as leveraged ETFs, which may not be suitable for some investors. Some ETFs that have less than one year on the market have been excluded due to lack of long-term data.
Top Three ETF Winners This Week
| ETF Ticker | ETF Name | Commodity Category | Assets ($MM) | NAV (as of December 20) | Return (weekly %) | Return (YTD %) | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teucrium Sugar | Sugar | $6.14 | $9.43 | 5.43% | -27.50% | 1.00% | |
| United States Gasoline Fund | Gasoline | $48.23 | $31.11 | 4.47% | -0.67% | 0.75% | |
| United States Copper Index Fund | Copper | $10.19 | $20.42 | 4.26% | 24.86% | 0.80% |
This week’s list of best-performing commodity-based ETFs was a mixed bag, with a sugar fund leading the way thanks to short-covering by investors. A gasoline fund gained slightly, while the year’s best copper fund tacked on more gains due to higher Chinese demand.
Top Three ETF Losers This Week
| ETF Ticker | ETF Name | Commodity Category | Assets ($MM) | NAV (as of December 20) | Return (weekly %) | Return (YTD %) | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund | Natural Gas | $7.80 | $8.67 | -2.46% | -25.83% | 0.90% | |
| United States Natural Gas Fund | Natural Gas | $618.52 | $5.23 | -2.43% | -44.00% | 1.12% | |
| Teucrium Soybeans | Soybeans | $10.29 | $17.90 | -2.35% | -6.28% | 1.00% |
This week’s list of worst-performing commodity-based ETFs included two natural gas funds as weak winter weather expectations dragged prices lower. A soybeans fund bottomed out the list on investor profit-taking activity.
We provide this report on a weekly basis. Be sure to check our News section to remain updated on the latest happenings in the commodity space.
