Features and Interviews
July 03, 2008 1:54 PM EST
- Updated July 03, 2008 EST
Julian Murdoch
Coffee isn't like oil - it's discretionary. With peaked production and dwindling inventories, all signs point up. Or do they?
- The Brazilian crop
- The Chinese cup
- Starbucks adjusts its plans
Tom Winmill, portfolio manager of Midas Funds, discusses the effects of a proposed ban on commodity speculation and commodity investment in pension funds, his fund’s allocations and platinum.
- Commodity markets and prices affected
- Volatile by nature
- Platinum demand surpasses production
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In the second installment of HAI's new column,
a commodities broker discusses the human
foibles driving many trading decisions.
- The factors impacting decisions
- The broker-client relationship
- Do brokers have a legitimate role?
Why trying to untangle the oil prices enigma is such a murky endeavor.
- Analysts waffling on oil
- The bears' claims of supply
- Declining exports
Hard Assets University
October 24, 2007 4:48 PM EST
HardAssetsInvestor.com
What are commodities? It seems like a simple question. Ask someone on the street and they'll probably say "oil" or maybe "gold."
Those are good examples, but they don't tell you what really makes a commodity a commodity. And understanding that is the first step to becoming a better commodities investor.
Now it's time for the big question: Why invest in commodities at all?
The short answer is that, based on historical data, adding commodities exposure will increase your returns while lowering your risk.
Why? Well, to understand that, we first have to talk about the single most important topic in investing: asset allocation.
All commodities are fungible, but not all commodities are created the same.
Generally speaking, investors break commodities down into two categories: "soft" and "hard" commodities.
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