Commodities such as copper, crude oil, natural gas, soybeans, and sugar are the raw ingredients that feed and power the global economy. Commodities are also an investment category; they’re traded every day on markets around the world, with implications for every individual and business.
You may never have set foot in a cornfield or drilled an oil well in your backyard. But as a consumer, you’re very much a part of the commodities market. Commodities and their prices are important parts of our everyday lives, and they can also be part of an investment strategy. But even if you don’t invest in commodities, these markets are still worth following as indicators of market sentiment and economic health.
Key Points
- Commodities include raw materials such as corn, oil, and metals.
- Every consumer has some indirect exposure to the commodities markets.
- Investors can consider futures contracts, options, and exchange-traded funds, but be aware of risks.
Looking for exposure to commodities markets? You have many choices, including futures markets, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. But it’s important to understand that commodities and commodity-based investments differ from traditional stocks and bonds in many ways.
What are commodities? Which are traded most?
Commodities are typically raw or unprocessed materials, often mined or pumped out of the ground in the case of metals, crude oil, and natural gas, or grown on farms, such as corn, cotton, pork, soybeans, and wheat. For trading purposes, units of a given commodity are typically interchangeable, or fungible—one bushel of corn is considered pretty much the same as any other.
Many major commodities trade in the form of futures contracts on established exchanges, such as CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange, which are both U.S.-based. (Commodity futures trading was effectively birthed at what became the Chicago Board of Trade, where grain merchants gathered starting around 1848 to buy and sell early versions of grain futures contracts.) Crude oil is currently the world’s most actively traded commodity, according to ICE Futures U.S., with some 2.8 billion barrels changing hands each day.
Who trades commodities?
There are two broad types of commodities market participants:
- Hedgers, aka “commercials.” These are businesses that produce, process, ship, or otherwise handle the commodities in question. Commercials include oil and gas producers and refiners, miners, grain millers, farmers, and meat-packers. Why the term “hedgers”? Simple. They frequently trade the commodities market to offload, or “hedge,” the price risks to their businesses.
- Speculators. This category includes banks, hedge funds, and individuals who trade commodities for a living. They speculate that the price of a commodity will go up or down within a certain time frame, and they place trades with the aim of turning a profit. Speculators not only help keep prices in line by exploiting—and closing—price inefficiencies across markets, but they also provide a liquid and orderly marketplace for anyone needing to buy or sell at any point in time.
What is the role of futures exchanges?
As with stocks, exchanges play an important role in the commodities markets, providing a centralized, regulated venue where buyers and sellers conduct business. Most commodity futures that trade on exchanges are standardized agreements (contracts). Both parties agree to buy or sell a specific amount of a particular commodity at a predetermined price at a specific date in the future. For example, one crude oil futures contract specifies 1,000 barrels of West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark.
What moves commodities markets?
Weather and geopolitics are among several key commodity price drivers, and these difficult-to-predict factors can make commodities extremely volatile at times. A drought or flood could slash farmers’ harvests, for example. A cold snap could raise heating fuel demand. A hurricane could disrupt oil production and shipping. Commodities market professionals constantly keep an eye on the weather forecasts and global news.
In 2022, a disruption in global supplies caused in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine combined with growing fuel demand as the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, sent crude oil soaring to multiyear highs. The rise in oil prices, in turn, pulled prices for gasoline and diesel higher.
How do you trade or invest in commodities?
For individual investors, there are several ways to gain exposure to commodities.
Futures contracts. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a certain amount of a commodity at a certain price in the future. If the price of a futures contract rises, the buyer can sell it and book a profit. In contrast, the seller of a futures contract potentially profits if the price goes down (this is known as going short). Although most commodity futures technically allow for physical delivery, almost all contracts are liquidated before the contract’s expiration date. So you won’t receive a truckload of corn in your driveway.
Options on futures. Put or call options based on crude or gold, for example, are traded on many futures exchanges. These contracts grant the option buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specific futures contract at a specific price on or before an expiration date.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs are marketable securities that trade like common stocks and can be bought or sold on an exchange. Many ETFs are linked to a single commodity, a basket of commodities, or a commodity index.
Traditional stocks. Many publicly traded companies have direct exposure to commodities and commodities markets (miners, grain processors, and oil and gas exploration companies, for example) or indirect exposure (such as farm equipment manufacturers, seed companies, or oil field services companies).
What are the benefits and risks of investing in commodities?
Commodities can be considered “alternative” investments that are supposed to be uncorrelated, or minimally correlated, with stocks and bonds. If stocks make a big move lower or higher, alternative assets may move the opposite way, or they might move in the same direction, but to a lesser extent. This potential noncorrelation to stocks and bonds is one reason alternative investments can help diversify a portfolio.
However, commodities markets are also prone to sharp, sudden price swings, with potential volatility that’s typically far greater than an S&P 500 Index stock. Commodities often move higher and lower in broad-based, multiyear cycles that reflect expansion or contraction in the global economy. But any cycle or price trend in commodities can end, seemingly in an eyeblink. The fast-moving and often volatile nature of these assets is not suitable for all investors.
The bottom line
We all consume commodities every day, whether by driving to work, ordering a cup of coffee, or buying clothes or supplies for home. Investing in commodities is another matter. Commodities offer a fascinating window into the global economy, and watching these markets can inform or offer ideas for an investing strategy (or simply keep an investor informed, period). But these unique assets carry unique risks, so the wise investor will proceed with caution.
