For Day Traders: The Most Liquid ETF for Every Commodity
The introduction of commodity ETFs brought trading to a whole new level, as your average retail investor now has the opportunity to trade something like natural gas futures through a single ticker. As the years have gone on, a number of these products have grown to be some of the most widely-used financial instruments for their respective commodity. One advantage to ETFs, however, is that liquidity is not hindered by average volume due the the creation process. Instead, there will just be some funds that are more liquid and tradable than others [for more commodity ETF news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
For Long Term Investors: The Cheapest ETF for Every Commodity
After gathering more than $1 trillion in total assets under management, ETFs have cemented their place in the financial world. Among the universe of nearly 1,500 products, commodity funds have garnered a lot of attention, as these products have democratized an asset class that was once difficult to reach by retail investors. Now, there are a number of exchange-traded options to help you gain exposure to your favorite hard assets, all at a low cost.
Three ETFs To Play the South African Mining Strike
The South African mining strike that began on September 10th has continued to spread throughout the country. As the strike has picked up momentum, investors have begun to worry about the impact on commodities. South Africa is one of the most resource-rich nations on earth, as its soil is home to an abundance of hard assets, especially precious metals. The current strike first impacted the platinum and palladium industry, but quickly spread to the gold industry as well. Dozens have been killed in the protests that involve a fight for better working conditions and more fair wages.
Checking in On Precious Metals ETFs in 2012
Precious metals have been a hot commodity in recent years, as a number of investors have lost their faith in standard equities and fixed income securities. By far, the most popular allocations are to gold and silver, as these two hard assets offer safe haven appeal and have a strong track record for price appreciation. Platinum and palladium round out the precious metals group, both of which are more widely used than the previous two metals. With 2012 being a relatively rocky year for commodities, we outline the performances of the four most popular precious metals ETFs. Note that all four funds feature a physical allocation to their respective metals [for more precious metals news subscribe to our free newsletter].
The One Chart Every Commodity Trader Must See
The past few years have seen the global economy fall on some hard times. At the head of it all has been the U.S., whose fiscal policies and rampant immoralities led to some of the biggest banks in the world bringing down the local economy. In order to keep our heads above water, the Federal Reserve has stepped in on numerous occasions, offering bailouts for hundreds of billions to try and salvage the economy. But the economy has done little to make a solid recovery and instead seems addicted to its regular injections of quantitative easing. As such, the financial situation surrounding the U.S. and our debt policies is beginning to grow concerning [see also Four Commodities To Buy Before Roubini’s “Perfect Storm”].
Precious Metals Roundup: Gold Leads, Silver Lags
Last week saw no shortage of activity in global equity markets–not by a long shot. Greece once again dominated the headlines, as a back-and-forth plan for a referendum took markets by surprise on multiple times throughout the week, ultimately ending with a plan that seemed to point to Greece’s continued inclusion in the currency bloc. The ongoing debt saga in Europe distracted investors in part from an abundance of activity on the domestic front, including another major bankruptcy and a long-awaited IPO to close out the week.
Ultimate Guide To Palladium Investing
Palladium is an extremely rare element that was first discovered in the early 19th century. Despite a relatively short history, palladium and other platinum group metals (which include platinum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium) are used widely today. By some estimates, one in four products either contains a platinum group metal or uses one in the manufacturing process. Palladium, like platinum, is used widely in the manufacture of catalytic converters, creating a link between the price of the metal and the health of the global auto industry. As such, palladium as an investment vehicle has characteristics of both industrial metals such as copper and precious metals such as gold. There are a number of different options for investing in palladium, including exchange-traded futures contracts, stocks of companies engaged in the extraction and sale of the metal, and exchange-traded products [see also The Guide To The Biggest Companies In Every Major … See the full story here →
Ultimate Guide To Platinum Investing
Platinum is one of the rarest metals on earth, found in even smaller quantities than silver or gold. Though it receives less attention from investors than other precious metals, platinum is an interesting option because it is used widely in a number of industrial applications; most notably, this metal is a key component of automobiles. There are a number of different options for investing in platinum, including exchange-traded futures contracts, stocks of companies engaged in the extraction and sale of the metal, and both physically-backed and futures-based exchange-traded products.
