Major Commodity Earnings This Week: A Bit of Everything
As we make our way into the last quarter of the year, the eyes of investors and analysts turn to the performance of the most recent quarter. Q3 earnings season is upon us and has opened up with gloomy expectations, as many companies have already lowered guidance ahead of their reports. Below, we detail the most significant commodity firms that will release earnings this week [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter]:
Housing Data Remains Strong, But Lumber Prices Suffer
As the U.S. economy finally picks up its pace, many investors are returning to the corner of the market that was one of the primary sources of the 2008 financial crisis: housing. Across the board, housing stats have been on the rise in recent years, including home prices, housing starts, building permits and construction. As such, interest in the raw materials involved in housing have also benefited from the uptrend, particularly lumber [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Earnings Preview: Weyerhaeuser (WY) & Halliburton (HAL)
With the fourth quarter’s earning season in full swing now, investors have, for the most part, been pleasantly surprised. Though many companies have exceeded expectations, earnings estimates for several commodity producers remain rather bearish as global economic uncertainties and demand concerns have left many understandably leery. Last week, leading oil and gas equipment and services provider Schlumberger (SLB) missed analysts’ estimates, reporting fourth quarter net earnings that fell an abysmal 3.7%. Aluminum giant Alcoa (AA), however, reported revenues well above expectations, and the company predicts aluminum demand growth to rise in 2013–-a crucial and positive indicator for the global economy. This Friday, investors will shift their focus to two major commodity producers; Weyerhaeuser (WY) and Halliburton (HAL) [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].
Timber Set to Soar Says Jeremy Grantham
Jeremy Grantham, famous for co-founding the Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo (GMO), has made a series of forecasts that investors may want to pay attention to. Grantham has become a household investing name with his uncanny predictions of numerous asset bubbles as well as his general knowledge of the financial world. According to Mr. Grantham, the next seven years will see timber outperform all other asset classes. The prediction laid out a 6.5% annualized return for this commodity, while other asset classes lagged behind [for more timber news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Top 3 Timber Stocks by Market Cap
Timber/lumber has long been a staple commodity of the world, providing wood products for everything from the houses we live in to the paper we write on. As an investment, however, timber does not exactly scale the ranks of popularity. When most people think of commodities, assets like gold, natural gas, and crude oil are undoubtedly the first that come to mind. But timber has a compelling investment thesis that has roped in a number of individuals and institutions over the years [for more timber news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Beginner’s Guide to Timber Investment Funds: How to Invest in Timber
The benefits of commodity investing have been well-documented in recent years, as this asset class has become a more widely-accepted part of every investor’s portfolio. These assets are typically used for their appeal as inflation hedges as well as their low correlation to the overall stock market. When most investors think of these kinds of assets, big name commodities like gold and silver come to mind, yet their are a number of other options that present equally compelling investment theses. One of those investments is timber, a commodity that has proven its worth over time [for more commodity news subscribe to our free newsletter].
