Investors interested in commodities will frequently flock to hard commodities. These are typically materials that must be mined or extracted from the earth. Some key examples of hard commodities include crude oil, gold, silver, copper, heating oil, natural gas and aluminum. These are raw materials that touch every part of our lives. They are also most often impacted by economic cycles. When the economy is growing and flourishing, demand for copper, aluminum, natural gas and crude oil will explode. During times of economic contraction, demand falls off and the prices of these hard commodities will typically fall off. Check out our articles on investment opportunities in hard commodities.
If you don’t know the Law of the Vital Few, you should. Also known as the 80/20 rule, it states that 80% of an effect comes from 20% of the causes. Managers are very familiar with this law. Their top few workers deliver the lion’s share of results. Economists point to the fact that a […]
After all the chest-thumping, the Iran sanctions passed with a whimper. Lots of talk … zero teeth. Now the market has too much oil.
For some reason, the world seems to take Saudi Arabia at its word that it will produce more oil. The problem is, the kingdom can’t do it.
Trade war fears will fade, at least for a little while. Investors will seek bargains. And this will be one of the industries that investors snap up.
Fresh money is flowing into crude oil and energy exchange-traded funds (ETFs). That’s encouraging for crude oil bulls. But I’m worried.
Few were predicting higher oil prices. Savvy investors knew that this pessimism would be short-lived. Prices went on to rally 21% in six weeks.
The copper market is in deficit. That means there is more demand than supply. And that condition will continue for the next few years.
Mines take several years to develop and bring into production. That’s why Chinese miners are positioning themselves for long-term success.
Last year, the media was calling for the next bear market in oil. The last thing on most people’s mind was a 50% rally. But that’s exactly what happened.
Lithium prices in China are tanking. Prices are down nearly 50% since the first quarter. That is echoing through world markets.
Iran exported 2.2 million barrels of oil per day in July. That’s far more oil than Russia, Saudi Arabia or the U.S. can replace when sanctions begin.
While analysts worry that demand for railway services may wane due to the trade war, higher oil prices suggest otherwise.
Looking at the fundamentals surrounding oil can be difficult. Instead, I rely on the charts, which show that oil is at a critical level right now.
All eyes are on the trade war waging between the U.S. and China, but there’s an even bigger crisis brewing in the Middle East that’s going to hit your wall in way we haven’t seen since 2008.
Oil demand isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, it’s growing. And producers have to find those additional supplies somewhere.
When prices become unaffordable, they’ll come down. And this week, traders got another reason to second-guess the world’s appetite for high-priced crude oil.
Monitoring the large speculators is not a precise timing indicator. But it’s a valuable piece of information to determine when it’s the right time to bet against the crowd.
In November 2016, OPEC announced cuts to oil production. Now, a year and a half after the production cuts, the organization has accomplished its goal.
As oil prices rise, investors are jumping into oil stocks. However, there’s a good reason why we do not own any oil-producing companies in the Real Wealth Strategist newsletter right now.
Some see oil prices continuing to climb throughout 2018. That may be the case by the end of the year, but for now, oil prices are set to take a dip lower.
The price of oil is nearly 200% higher today than it was at the bottom in 2016. And we could easily see oil prices spike to $100 per barrel on bad news.
Gains in oil seem like a natural response to any action against Iran. But as this chart shows, oil is now at an extreme level only seen in bubbles.
This monumental shift will be the most dramatic in over 100 years, maybe even more so than when ships switched from coal to oil.
While oil has more than doubled in price in the last two years, this essential part of the oil industry has actually seen a slight decline.
Over the last couple of weeks, we discussed two reasons for the rising oil price. However, there is another source of anxiety in the oil market.
In the next few years, the big capital investment money is headed toward offshore oil exploration and production in a big way.
On May 12, the oil market will face a critical test. If the result goes one way, we could see higher oil prices … potentially much higher.
When oil companies begin to spend on expansion, it’s a sign that they believe there are bright prospects in the oil industry for growth.
With talks of the U.S. losing in trade deals, there is a surprising victory with our southern neighbor. To understand why, we have to take a couple steps back…
Most of us have to buy gas, so there’s nothing we can do about the higher gas prices. But there is a way to offset them.
The U.S. continues to be a juggernaut of oil production. But there is a problem with our oil that no one is talking about.
I’m going to outline a pocket of strength that will endure and even flourish in these changing market conditions. And it comes from the much-maligned oil sector.
Oil shale production is growing like crazy now. But knowing why shale drilling stocks are flailing is crucial to understanding why oil prices will keep moving higher.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will attribute increases in the oil price to its production cuts. But that’s a lie … the truth is much darker.
The popularity of diesel cars spiked with the promise of clean emissions. That was until 2015, when Volkswagen admitted to lying about its diesel cars’ emissions.
New industries can potentially redefine the way we live. But there’s been a disruptor in the energy sector that’s been largely overlooked: U.S. shale oil production.
A major bull market went unnoticed in the noise of lithium and cobalt prices rocketing in 2017. Its price is soaring too, with less fanfare.
The market pundits are telling you to get bearish on oil and energy stocks. Follow that advice only if you like losing money.
We’ve had nearly four years of low gasoline prices. However, we’re paying more for gasoline now, on a relative basis, than we did back in 2008.
Most investors hate stocks of oil producers today. But oil producers are going to have a great year in 2018. We can too … if we buy shares soon.
Now that people are OK with investing in oil again, the buyers who were scared out before are buying back in to catch the rally.
The price of oil just hit its highest point since July 2015. That’s really helping the one sector of the oil patch that we should be watching now.
There is a disconnect between the market and a major source of dividend income for investors — MLPs, or master limited partnerships.
From 2000 through 2010, U.S. exports of refined oil products grew by nearly 160%. But according to the data, we export nearly five times that much now.
Copper has enjoyed a stellar rally for more than a year, but its far from over as a rising new tech will increase demand for the metal.
The WTI crude oil price just hit its highest price in 2 1/2 years. We need to know what’s driving it to decide if we should buy some oil producers.
Saudi Arabia does a masterful job of talking the price of oil higher. And without ever taking any action, that has had an impact on oil prices.
On October 8, Kobe Steel admitted to quality-control fraud on its metal products. And make no mistake: This scandal will deepen.
Oil prices have been stuck around $50 a barrel since they collapsed in 2014. But oil may now be finding a bottom and heading higher.
The supply of oil is still well above its five-year average. But for the first time in a long time, it’s time to focus on the oil sector.
Prices are up all over the U.S. from this time last year. However, we are still paying far less for gasoline today than we did for most of the last decade.
In the 21st century, an army needs more than food and ammunition. Modern armies need vast amounts of oil to win.
I’m going to tell you a secret about oil. It shows why oil companies are tanking … and what we can expect from oil prices for at least the next year.
There is a clear downward trend in the seasonal pattern for this commodity that is set to last until the end of the year.
The collapse of oil prices has convinced many investors that U.S. oil is dead. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The price of corn is heading higher thanks to record heat, lower production estimates and record ethanol production.
The headlines are clear: Oil will never be able to pull out of this bear market. But there are some bullish investors in the market.
Lots of energy stories have a grim outlook. But if anything, the picture for oil prices at $60 or higher by year’s end is only brighter than it was before.
Oil exploration companies are getting pounded by lower oil prices. However, this area of the oil industry is making money.
U.S. net petroleum imports fell under 4 million barrels per day in April and again in May. That’s the lowest point since we began keeping records in 1991.
Thanks to the shale revolution, natural gas production soared. By 2012, the U.S. edged out Russia to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas.
Engineers didn’t believe fracking would work on oil strata. Fortunately, American petroleum engineers made the leap, and U.S. oil production soared.
The market got everything OPEC promised: a nine-month extension of oil production cuts. So why are oil prices still falling? Let me show you…
The critical moment for oil will be the announcement after OPEC’s meeting. If OPEC doesn’t reach a deal — a real possibility — then oil prices will plummet.
A critical subgroup of the oil industry has been left for dead. We should make double- or even triple-digit gains as its stocks catch up with reality…
The seeds are being sown for an offshore oil revival. In essence, the idea is to automate as much as possible and cut out as much human labor as possible.
I’m going to tell you a couple of secrets about fracking that most people don’t know or understand. And one of those secrets could make you a lot of money.
To understand what’s going on in today’s oil market (and to suss out what will happen next), we need to go back a few years…
You don’t need to head to the rolling hills of the U.K. with a metal detector to make a profit in rare coins. There’s a much easier way to grow your wealth.
We’ve seen a rise in the use of renewable energy as it becomes cheaper. And it’s ensuring that massive changes are coming to the energy industry…
De Beers sold us on the idea that diamonds are a measurement of love and commitment. But diamonds continue to be a great store of wealth, much like gold.
I’ve spent countless hours analyzing weather patterns, and one thing is apparent: They indicate opportune times to invest and generate profits.
Wall Street seems to think that America’s shale industry will be able to save us from higher oil prices in the months and years ahead. But with shale oil production shutting down, that seems like a long shot…
The damage from the oil war with OPEC lies all over America’s shale-oil regions. With the cartel set to cut production, America’s shale-oil producers will be hard pressed to catch up.
Oil is dead … according to the media heralding electric vehicles and the growth of wind and solar energy. Don’t believe it. In fact, we may be entering a new golden era for oil investing.
Black gold’s roller-coaster ride has been frustrating for many investors. But cost-saving decisions made over the past couple years are going to send oil roaring back in a big way.
There’s a reason oil is called black gold. And in spite of worries of a bear market, there’s a second chance to invest in oil … and be well rewarded.
Don’t believe the media, oil consumption is not declining — it’s rising. But oil exploration budgets have been cut, and a supply shortfall is looming on the horizon.
Oil prices are low for now, but demand is rising in China, India and the U.S., and refiners are already in “max gasoline mode.” One thing’s certain, out of sync oil means profit … if you’re prepared.
Saudi Arabia is living like there’s no tomorrow, but they’re headed for trouble. Oil prices are plummeting, and according to experts, they may have further to fall…
