Commentary

Gold has a long history as a currency. The yellow metal has been a store of value for thousands of years. Gold is both a financial and an industrial commodity. Central banks around the world hold the yellow metal as part of their foreign currency... more

The dollar index moved lower by 1.22% in the second quarter of 2019, but the commodities asset class posted a loss in Q2. Two of the six major sectors posted gains while four moved to the downside. The composite of 29 raw material markets that... more

Commodities are global assets. Raw material production is a local affair as minerals, ores, metals, and energy output comes from parts of the world where the earth's crust is rich in resources. When it comes to agricultural commodities, soil... more

Crude oil is the energy commodity that powers the world. Over the past six months, the international oil market provided a rollercoaster of volatility for market participants. A ride to the downside from October through December last year... more

The dollar index moved higher by 1.16% in the first quarter of 2019, but the commodities asset class posted a gain over the first three months of the quarter that ended on March 29. Two of the six major sectors posted losses while four moved to... more

February 2019 was an excellent month for the prices of two high-profile metals that trade on the futures exchanges. Gold is a metal that has many roles. The yellow metal is a go-to favorite when it comes to jewelry, and its resistance to heat and... more

Gold fell to a low at $1161.70 in mid-August, but silver waited until mid-November to find its bottom at $13.86 per ounce. Since the lows, the precious metals have been making higher lows and higher highs. During the week of January 22, both... more

The dollar index moved higher by 1.05% in the fourth quarter of 2018, and the commodities asset class posted a loss over the final three months of the year that ended on December 31. Two of the six major sectors posted losses while four moved to... more

In early October it looked like the price of crude oil was heading for triple-digit territory on the back of sanctions on Iran that were coming in early October. At the same time, the price of natural gas futures had been consistently failing on... more

There are many lessons that we can learn from the price action in commodities markets. Commodities tend to rise to prices where output increases, inventories build, and demand declines. At lofty levels, prices peak and reverse. The most recent... more