25 Ways To Invest In Crude Oil
Crude oil has been in the limelight in recent weeks, as its priced surged from a low of $75 barrel to break through the century mark, marking an increase of over 35%. While oil has long been, arguably, the most popular commodity on the market, investors and traders alike are looking to hop in on the action as crude presents itself with a wealth of opportunities. Though most people simply think of gasoline when they hear the term crude oil, this fossil fuel is actually a vital part of our everyday lives. Crude oil is utilized in everything from the production of plastics and fertilizers, to cosmetics and industrial solvents [see also Crude Oil On Fire: Examining The Commodity’s Rise].
Three Commodities Dividend Lovers Must Own
Over the years, value investing has emerged as one of the favorite strategies for a number of individuals and advisors. A steady stream of income that dividends provide can help protect a portfolio from market dips as well as adding an inflation hedge. The methodology has become so popular that some investors swear by it and are uneasy about making allocations to anything that lacks an important dividend yield. Many feel that value principles conflict with the commodity space; when someone thinks of commodity investing, they typically think of active trading of futures contracts or exchange traded products. But there are a number of securities that may be overlooked [see also Dividend Special: Top Companies In Every Major Commodity Sector].
Commodity Trading Trends: Crude Oil In Focus
The past few weeks have seen a fair amount of volatility in what is arguably the world’s most popular commodity. Crude oil had been on a tear, surging from $75/barrel to a peak of $102/barrel last week, marking an increase of over 35% in less than two months. But as Euro zone debt woes weighted down on the global economic outlook, crude took a major hit, losing over 6% in just a matter of days. But this result shouldn’t come as a major surprise given that crude features a relatively high correlation to equities, with a 0.75 relation to the S&P 500 over the trailing year [see also Crude Oil On Fire: Examining The Commodity's Rise].
Crude Oil On Fire: Examining The Commodity’s Rise
Arguably the world’s most popular commodity investment, crude oil, has been subjected to a wild 2011. Recently, the fossil fuel has been making headlines for its significant gains, though just a few months ago the opposite was true. Now that crude recently broke through the triple digit mark (at least temporarily), investors are trying to figure out why the commodity has surged in recent weeks. Given all of the economic turmoil around the world and the volatility in equities, it may seem surprising to see crude appreciate so rapidly, but a quick overview of the year sheds light on its recent tear [see also Crude Oil Guide: Brent Vs. WTI, What’s The Difference?].
MLPs: CEFs, ETPs, or Mutual Funds?
Income investing is always a popular strategy for portfolio allocation that t is perhaps most effective in sideways markets, when few asset classes are generating stable returns. With today’s major indices swaying back and forth with each coming day, many analysts feel that we are indeed in a sideways environment, bringing value investing to the forefront. Of the numerous value options, few are as enticing as the Master Limited Partnership (MLP) sector. These products offer juicy dividend yields and make a play on the world’s insatiable appetite for fossil fuels [see also Three Things Wall Street Journal Didn’t Tell You About Commodities].
Commodity Trading Trends: Crude Oil In Focus
The recent performance from crude oil has caught a number of investors’ eyes, as the fossil fuel has surged in the past week to break through the $90/barrel level. In fact, since opening around $86 per barrel on October 20th, crude jumped roughly 8.1% as of market close Tuesday. Yesterday, however, markets had other plans for oil, with a major supply increase putting pressure on the asset class. WTI futures took a hit of 2.5%. With crude exhibiting a nice upward trend over the majority of the last week, its dip creates an interesting trading opportunity for those who feel that yesterday’s losses were only a temporary bump in the road [see also Crude Oil Guide: Brent Vs. WTI, What’s The Difference?].
Crude Oil Guide: Brent Vs. WTI, What’s The Difference?
Arguably, the most important commodity in the world today is crude oil. The product and its derivatives made their way into virtually every application of modern life from transportation to plastics. This vital commodity also dominates politics in many parts of the world and ensures that some top producing nations have outsized influence on the world stage. In light of this, many might assume that most investors know everything about the product and how it trades around the globe. However, that is not the case, as there are several misconceptions about the various types of oil and how this commodity is priced [see also USA Oil Reserves: The World’s Largest?].
Crude Oil Crushed: Buy or Sell?
To call the last few months volatile would be an understatement; markets have been violently swinging back and forth, taking investors on a wild ride. While major indexes have experienced significant headwinds, other asset classes, like gold, have generally performed well. But when it comes to crude oil, a number of investors may be frustrated with the past two months, as the fossil fuel has taken something of a nosedive [see also Dividend Special: Top Companies In Every Major Commodity Sector].
