How To Use The Commitment Of Traders Report
It’s not a secret that commercial hedgers and institutional traders account for the majority of trading in the commodities markets. But, many individual traders fail to realize that they can take a behind-the-scenes look at these trades each and every week, thanks to reporting requirements imposed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) [for more market news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Best Agriculture ETFs of 2012
It was a pretty hectic year for agricultural commodities as the summer months wreaked havoc on prices. After the United States endured the hottest 12-month span on record and an abysmal drought, a number of these staple commodities experienced big movements in price and trading volume alike. But now that 2012 is nearing its close, we look back at these funds throughout the course of the year to see which funds outperformed the rest [for more agriculture news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Inside Citi’s 2013 Agriculture Outlook
As 2012 comes to a close, Wall Street begins to look ahead to the coming year and what trends will have the biggest impact on the commodity world. Financial behemoth Citigroup (C) recently came out with an all-encompassing forecast for the next two years for almost every major commodity. Of particular interest was their outlook on ags, as these commodities have been on a wild ride for 2012; one of the hottest summers on record and an extended drought sent futures all over the board [for more agricultural news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Agriculture ETFs Taking A Hit
Agriculture is perhaps the most practical commodity sector, as many of its products enjoy inelastic demand around the world. As such, this segment has always been given a fair amount of investing attention. Because there are so many different futures in the ag world, ETFs have become one of the most effective and popular ways to play this broad commodity sector. After enduring one of the worst droughts in U.S. history, agriculture ETFs are taking another hit as they have been trending downward since September [for more agriculture 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].
The Largest Private Landowners in the U.S.
Buying and owning hard assets like farmland and timberland has been a popular investing method for many years. Unfortunately, it is too costly and difficult for the average retail investor, so it is often left to those who have access to a significant capital base. For those who can invest in land, it can often be one of the best investments you will ever make, as the potential for profit is quite large [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Commodities To Watch in Sandy’s Wake
Markets were closed late last night in preparation for hurricane Sandy, as the storm has its sights set on the east coast. With approximately 50 million people in its projected path, Sandy is predicted to dump unprecedented amounts of rain that could cause an 11 foot rise in some areas of the coast line. “From North Carolina to Maine, forecasters warned that Sandy was likely to collide with a cold front and spawn a “superstorm” that could generate flash floods, snowstorms and massive power outages” write Chelsea J. Carter and Josh Levs.
How Much Money Your Favorite Commodity ETFs Make
ETF investing turned the commodity world from a difficult-to-reach asset class to exposure that any retail investor could quickly add to their portfolio. The years have seen a number of innovative products come and go, but through thick and thin a select group of funds have broken away from the rest, as they have maintained their popularity. And just like any other business, these funds need to make money to stay open (and to hopefully make you money), as they have plenty of operating costs to take care of [for more commodity ETF analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
DBA vs RJA: What Would Jim Rogers Do?
As Bernanke and the Fed continue to print more money and debase the dollar, investors are becoming increasingly concerned with the potential impact this will have on inflation. This has led to many turning to commodity investments to help protect their portfolios. Among the most popular inflation hedge investments are agricultural commodities, as food prices are among the first to feel the effects of inflation. As such, a number of big name investors have been recommending ag as the place to be for the coming years [for more agricultural news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
