Commodities

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 raw material markets made a comeback in the second quarter of 2020 after the global pandemic caused a deflationary spiral taking the prices of most assets lower in Q1. The commodity asset class consisting of 29 of the primary commodities that... 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

The dollar index moved lower by 1.14% in the fourth quarter of 2017, and commodities prices moved higher with five of the six major sectors posting gains. Out of the 29 commodities that I follow, 16 posted gains during the three-month period that... more

The dollar index moved lower by 2.02% in the first quarter of 2017, and commodities prices moved higher with four of the six major sectors posting gains. Many raw materials made multiyear lows in late 2015 and early 2016 but have recovered in... more

The dollar index exploded higher by 7.23% in Q4 2016, but most raw material prices ignored the greenback. The principal raw materials traded on US and UK futures exchanges rose by 3.75% in Q4. The dollar was up by 3.59% in 2016 and commodities... more

These upcoming events will impact commodities:

It has been a busy year, beginning with a tumultuous sell off in the Chinese... more

The second quarter of 2016 is now in the books. It was a quarter of fear of uncertainty, volatility, and gains for commodities. Overall, a composite of the 29 primary commodities that trade on futures markets moved 10.75% higher. So far in 2016,... more

First quarter of 2016 is now in the books. It was a quarter of fear, of uncertainty, of losses, and redemption. Overall, a composite of the twenty-nine major commodities traded on futures markets moved only 1.63% higher. When I include iron ore,... more

​As it is now the beginning of March, the spring season is fast approaching. Across the fertile farmlands of the United States, farmers are preparing to seed their acreage for the 2016 crop year. In the world of agricultural commodities, each... more