Cotton Fares Well In 2013
While many commodity investors and traders primarily focus their attention on larger natural resources like gold or oil, there are plenty of other opportunities in the space; one of them lies within the soft commodity of cotton [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Think You Can’t Afford Farmland? Think Again
Investing in farmland has been a staple in the commodity world for decades, as many have enjoyed handsome returns by holding plots of arable land. But as the years have gone on, it has become harder and harder for an individual to afford this hard asset, essentially closing out this investment opportunity for many. Enter Fquare, a new service that aims to eradicate this problem. We had the opportunity to speak with CEO and Co-Founder Charles Polanco about his company, and how it can benefit investors of all kinds [for more farmland news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Demographic Storm Hits U.S. Farmers
For years now, many have been pointing out a developing trend in the U.S. farming industry: the number of farmers continues to stagnate. Though the United States was once dominated by agriculture, the nation has simply grown beyond its once economic staple and put its focus elsewhere. As this happened, farming became less of a lucrative industry, leading to fewer and fewer people who choosing it as a career path. The trend has led many to proclaim an agriculture crisis in the country, but the situation is probably less dire than many paint it [for more agricultural 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].
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].
