Andy Hecht

After soaring to an all-time peak in August 2020 in US dollar terms, gold has traded on either side of $1800 per ounce throughout 2021. The yellow precious metal reached a record level in nearly all currencies in 2019 and 2020. Gold was the first... more

Commodity prices have been trending higher since reaching lows in March and April 2020. Over the first six months of 2021, a composite of the asset class was up over 20%. In May, lumber, copper, and palladium prices reached all-time highs. While... more

The raw material markets asset class moved higher in the second quarter of 2021 after posting gains in Q1. The commodity asset class consisting of 29 of the primary commodities that trade on US and UK exchanges moved 10.76% higher in Q2 than the... more

On April 20, 2020, nearby NYMEX futures did what few market participants believed possible. Not only did the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate drop below zero during the delivery period, but it also fell to a low of negative $40.32.... more

We are now in the heart of the planting season for the 2021 crop year. Last April, prices were languishing at lows. Nearby CBOT corn futures traded to a low of $3.0025 per bushel. Soybean futures bottomed at $8.0825, while CBOT wheat reached $4.... more

The raw material markets asset class moved higher in the first quarter of 2021 after a volatile 2020 when the pandemic caused a massive selloff early and a huge turnaround that pushed some prices to all-time or multi-year highs. The commodity... more

In August 2020, the US Federal Reserve made a not-so-subtle change to its inflation policy. The world’s leading central bank shifted from a 2% target to an average of a 2% target for the economic condition.

Inflation is a general increase... more

The first month of 2021 was eventful. Bitcoin rose to a new all-time high. Digital currency is a rejection of government control of the money supply. The US swore in a new President. Many policies from the last administration are changing from... more

The raw material markets continued to make a comeback in the final quarter of 2020 after the global pandemic caused a deflationary spiral taking the prices of most assets to lows in March and April. In Q4, commodities posted an 11.77% gain. The... more

In late June 2020, the nearby natural gas futures price fell to its lowest level in twenty-five years when it reached $1.432 per MMBtu. Days after the low, Warren Buffett announced that Berkshire Hathaway acquired transmission and pipeline assets... more