Brazil’s Dry Spell Affects Coffee and Sugar Prices
In the commodity space, Brazil is one of the major players in global agricultural production. Roughly 20% of the Brazilian workforce is engaged in agriculture, and more than a quarter of the country’s export earnings come from agricultural exports. Because of its dominance in the market, however, any shift in local crop conditions and climate can have significant impact on agricultural prices [for more agriculture news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Sugar Stuck in a Spiral
Sugar is one of the most highly coveted soft commodities in the world, as its consumption and production make up a large part of many emerging market economies. As an investment, sugar futures and related products have a high attraction among investors as they offer significant volatility and potentially strong gains (or, of course, losses). Though this sweet commodity followed its historical trend of spiking in early summer, the past few weeks have been mostly sour for sugar, as the commodity has racked up losses of nearly 17% [for more sugar news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Which Sugar ETF Is Right For You? SGG vs. SGAR vs. CANE
Over the years, sugar has grown to be one of the most widely used soft commodities in the world with its number of applications going well beyond simple food production. As with all agricultural investments, sugar is known to exhibit significant volatility, making the commodity a lucrative investment tool for those looking for a sweet return. Additionally, sugar has been shown to maintain a fairly low correlation to other asset classes, such as stocks, giving investors yet another option to add meaningful diversification to their portfolios [for more sugar news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Five Minute Guide To Sugar ETFs
Sugar is another of the so-called breakfast commodities, along with coffee, cocoa and orange juice. Like the others, it also has a rich history. It is thought to have been first used by humans in Polynesia many centuries ago, but was not discovered by Europeans until the 11th century thanks to the Crusades. It was first brought to the Americas by Columbus in 1493 and soon thereafter it was found that the sugar cane plant grew extremely well in tropical environments [see also Jim Rogers Says: Buy Commodities Now, Or You’ll Hate Yourself Later].
