Energy Hedge Fund Center

As the rollercoaster ride of 2011 comes to an end we take a look at what influenced different commodities’ performances and peer into a crystal ball for signs of what lies in store for us during the early part of 2012.

Copper prices are a good indication of economic growth. A lot of analysts use the term Dr. Copper when analyzing and forecasting health of the economy. The price of copper is sitting just above $3 per pound and there are a few indications that prices could break below this level signaling an economic slowdown in ... Read More

Willem Weytjens: Are Bonds about to plunge? And if so (or if not), what are the implications for stocks and precious metals?[More...]

Hedge funds their long exposure in US commodities to the lowest level since March 2009. As of last Tuesday futures and options positions were cut by 12 percent to 656,000 contracts, a nominal reduction of 9 billion dollars to 60 billion dollars.

The past several years have seen a growing backlash against "paper" investments as more and more investors consider hard assets to be a safe haven against the implications of central bank money printing. But as the global economy visibly slows, this question arises in many minds: Are commodities, which have been on a tear since ... Read More

With only a few trading days left in the year, 2011 is shaping up to be a rather unusual year with about one-third winners and two-thirds losers, kind of a mirror opposite of 2006 when there were about one-third losers (including energy products) and two-thirds winners.[More...]

Commodity prices are a particularly sensitive indicator for the world economy due to their strong and pro-cyclical price fluctuations. These in turn are linked to supply inelasticities – the obstacles to and pronounced time delays in changing the supply of many commodities.[More...]

Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs, which is also one of the world’s biggest commodity trading firms, has issued its predictions for 2012 as markets brace themselves for a new year slump. Goldman’s clients – which range from vast businesses to governments and wealthy individuals – are being advised to prepare for a rollercoaster ride ... Read More

The boom in commodity prices over the last decade has been bad news for Britain’s infrastructure. As China builds up its cities, the rise in metals prices has tempted thieves in the West to start tearing down our own. Everything from church roofs to copper railway cabling has been targeted. Theft from the railways in ... Read More

It is the season to be jolly and it is also the season for ‘outlook’ views on what the New Year will bring, and that is unlikely to make anyone jolly. There are many possible binary outcomes in 2012 that could move markets and commodities erratically, so the only certainty appears to be ongoing volatile ... Read More