Apr
22
Why Invest in Commodities?
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Larry Swing
Most of us are quite comfortable with investing in cash deposits, government bonds, and stocks for conservative risk-averse investors. We hear these products discussed widely in the financial media. But rarely do we hear commodities discussed as an investment alternative. After all, what do commodities have to offer that stocks haven’t already provided?
Here are reasons why commodities can be a good investment:
- By diversifying your portfolio, the risk can be reduced, especially during recessionary periods such as bear markets where stocks tend to decline and lose value. Commodities tend to rise and this would counter the loss of portfolio value.
- Commodities trend better than stocks, not only on individual or also stock sectors and stock indexes. As such they are a better long-term investment vehicle. Trends tend to last short term such as a few months to a few years. When the trend begins, it is very unlikely there will be sharp reversals or unpleasant surprise.
- Commodity markets have large liquidity. Not all stocks are liquid even if they look very attractive earnings-wise, but exiting can be a painful process. In commodities, all commodities traded are highly liquid.
- Commodities have been trading for more than a century. More than 90% of stocks come and go. None are changed any way so there is more reliability in back-testing (review your strategy on past historical data) than others instruments such as futures and stocks where premiums change from one expiring contract to a new one, or stock-splits.
- At tax time, profits from commodities pay lower taxes than profits from stocks. In addition, there is no need to itemize all the transactions line by line where all stock transactions must be itemized. Long term or short term capital gains do not apply in commodities.
- Due to leverage, the gains can be spectacular, possibly many multiples of the original equity. For a small sum in the account, it is possible to more than double the account equity in a very short period of time.
- If the financial objective of the person is aggressive where he has high tolerance for risk, then commodities may fit is personal tolerance for risk. With a small equity, he can use for high-growth part of the entire diversified portfolio.
Here are some reasons against the investing in commodities:
- Daily Price Limit can prevent the investor from exiting a position if prices have reaches the day’s maximum price rise or decline allowed. This is especially difficult when his position is in a loss. Many times, margin calls will automatically exit the position. However, the account can be in the negative where the investor must fund additional money to the account to get back in black.
- There is lack of research materials covered in the media or in print compared to those covering stocks. The most popular financial books mainly use stocks as examples. Most brokerages and investment banks whose analysts cover industries and stocks. Investors like to see easily available and up-to-the-minute information which can be made available but not in a wide variety.
- The leverage is high, so small losses can make a big impact on the equity. This is a common scenario where the uninitiated and unprepared will see the account being wiped out.
- Future contracts constantly expire. If it’s a long-term holding, contracts must be managed properly changing to forward contracts. This can be tricky because premiums change from one forward contract to the next. Acute attention must be given in doing so.
If the investor is risk-averse in which he is content with small return year to year, then commodities might not be the right investment.
This list should not be considered final for any person to decide if he or she should trade commodities. There are many other factors and priorities, such as financial situation, time and preparation of each person to commit before deciding. To effectively profit from any market, due diligence and preparedness is the method to obtain the desired objectives. Weigh each pro and con carefully and verify the arguments for oneself before committing hard-earned money to waste.
Most of us are quite comfortable with investing in cash deposits, government bonds, and stocks for conservative risk-averse investors. We hear these products discussed widely in the financial media. But rarely do we hear commodities discussed as an investment alternative. After all, what do commodities have to offer that stocks haven’t already provided?
Here are reasons why commodities can be a good investment:
- By diversifying your portfolio, the risk can be reduced, especially during recessionary periods such as bear markets where stocks tend to decline and lose value. Commodities tend to rise and this would counter the loss of portfolio value.
- Commodities trend better than stocks, not only on individual or also stock sectors and stock indexes. As such they are a better long-term investment vehicle. Trends tend to last short term such as a few months to a few years. When the trend begins, it is very unlikely there will be sharp reversals or unpleasant surprise.
- Commodity markets have large liquidity. Not all stocks are liquid even if they look very attractive earnings-wise, but exiting can be a painful process. In commodities, all commodities traded are highly liquid.
- Commodities have been trading for more than a century. More than 90% of stocks come and go. None are changed any way so there is more reliability in back-testing (review your strategy on past historical data) than others instruments such as futures and stocks where premiums change from one expiring contract to a new one, or stock-splits.
- At tax time, profits from commodities pay lower taxes than profits from stocks. In addition, there is no need to itemize all the transactions line by line where all stock transactions must be itemized. Long term or short term capital gains do not apply in commodities.
- Due to leverage, the gains can be spectacular, possibly many multiples of the original equity. For a small sum in the account, it is possible to more than double the account equity in a very short period of time.
- If the financial objective of the person is aggressive where he has high tolerance for risk, then commodities may fit is personal tolerance for risk. With a small equity, he can use for high-growth part of the entire diversified portfolio.
Here are some reasons against the investing in commodities:
- Daily Price Limit can prevent the investor from exiting a position if prices have reaches the day’s maximum price rise or decline allowed. This is especially difficult when his position is in a loss. Many times, margin calls will automatically exit the position. However, the account can be in the negative where the investor must fund additional money to the account to get back in black.
- There is lack of research materials covered in the media or in print compared to those covering stocks. The most popular financial books mainly use stocks as examples. Most brokerages and investment banks whose analysts cover industries and stocks. Investors like to see easily available and up-to-the-minute information which can be made available but not in a wide variety.
- The leverage is high, so small losses can make a big impact on the equity. This is a common scenario where the uninitiated and unprepared will see the account being wiped out.
- Future contracts constantly expire. If it’s a long-term holding, contracts must be managed properly changing to forward contracts. This can be tricky because premiums change from one forward contract to the next. Acute attention must be given in doing so.
If the investor is risk-averse in which he is content with small return year to year, then commodities might not be the right investment.
This list should not be considered final for any person to decide if he or she should trade commodities. There are many other factors and priorities, such as financial situation, time and preparation of each person to commit before deciding. To effectively profit from any market, due diligence and preparedness is the method to obtain the desired objectives. Weigh each pro and con carefully and verify the arguments for oneself before committing hard-earned money to waste.
Apr
16
MANY INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Mark Soper
Managed Futures describes and industry that is made up of professional money mangers who trade in investments such as commodities, futures, and foreign currency in lieu of traditional investment s such as stocks and bonds. These money managers are called Commodity Trading Advisors(CTAs) Unlike commodity or stockbrokers who makes recommendations on individual commodities or stocks, Commodity Trading Advisors have a proven track record and trading style,and are under strict regulation with the NFA National Futures Association. Whether the economy is in a recession, an economic boom or is stagnant…whether interest rates rise or fall…whether there is an economic crisis or stability…in virtually any economic environment, professionally managed futures, unlike stocks, can potentially prosper. Defining Managed Futures The term "managed futures" refers to a 30-year-old industry made up of professional money managers who are known as "commodity trading advisors" (CTAs). CTAs are required to register with the U.S. government’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) before they can offer themselves to the public as money managers. CTAs are also required to go through an FBI deep background check, and provide rigorous disclosure documents (and independent audits of financial statements every year), which are reviewed by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory watchdog organization. CTAs generally manage their clients’ assets using a proprietary trading system, or a discretionary method, that may involve going long or short in futures contracts in areas such as metals (gold, silver), grains (soybeans, corn, wheat), equity indexes (S&P futures, Dow futures, NASDAQ 100 futures), soft commodities (cotton, cocoa, coffee, sugar) as well as foreign currency and U.S government bond futures. In the past several years, money invested in managed futures has more than doubled and is estimated to continue to grow in the coming years if hedge fund returns flatten and stocks underperform. Benefits of Managed Futures 1. Reduced Portfolio Volatility Risk – The primary benefit of adding a managed futures component to a diversified investment portfolio is that it may decrease portfolio volatility risk. This risk-reduction contribution to the portfolio is possible because of the low to slightly negative correlation of managed futures with equities and bonds. One of the key tenets of Modern Portfolio Theory, as developed by the Nobel Prize economist Dr. Harry M. Markowitz, is that more efficient investment portfolios can be created by diversifying among asset categories with low to negative correlations. 2. Potential for Enhanced Portfolio Returns – While managed futures can decrease portfolio volatility risk, they can also simultaneously enhance overall portfolio performance. Adding managed futures to a traditional portfolio can help to improve overall investment quality. This is substantiated by an extensive bank of academic research, beginning with the landmark study of Dr. John Lintner of Harvard University, in which he wrote that “The combined portfolios of stocks (or stocks and bonds) after including judicious investments…in leveraged managed futures accounts show substantially less risk at every possible level of expected return than portfolios of stocks (or stocks and bonds) alone.” (Lintner, John, “The Potential Role of Managed Commodity Financial Futures Accounts (and/or Funds) in Portfolios of Stocks and Bonds,” Annual Conference of Financial Analysts Federation, May 1983) 3. Ability to Take Advantage of Any Economic Environment – Managed futures trading advisors can take advantage of price trends. They can buy futures positions in anticipation of a rising market or sell futures positions if they anticipate a falling market. For example, during periods of hyperinflation, hard commodities such as gold, silver, oil, grains, and livestock tend to do well, as do the major world currencies. During deflationary times, futures provide an opportunity to profit by selling into a declining market with the expectation of buying, or closing out the position, at a lower price. Trading advisors can even use strategies employing options on futures contracts that allow for profit potential in flat or neutral markets. However, profits are not guaranteed, and there is risk of substantial loss. 4. Ease of Global Diversification – The establishment of global futures exchanges and the accompanying increase in actively traded contract offerings has allowed trading advisors to diversify their portfolios by geography as well as by product. For example, managed futures accounts can participate in at least 150 different markets worldwide, including stock indexes, financial instruments, agricultural products, precious and nonferrous metals, currencies, and energy products. Trading advisors thus have ample opportunity for profit potential and risk reduction among a broad array of non-correlated markets. Managing Risk One of the major arguments for diversifying into managed futures is their potential to lower portfolio risk. Such an argument is supported by many academic studies of the effects of combining traditional asset classes with alternative investments such as managed futures. Dr John Lintner of Harvard University is perhaps the most cited for his research in this area. Taken as an alternative investment class on its own, the managed-futures class has produced comparable returns in the decade before 2005. For example, between 1993 and 2002, managed futures had a compound average annual return of 6.9%, while for U.S. stocks (based on the S&P 500 total return index) the return was 9.3% and 9.5% for U.S. Treasury bonds (based on the Lehman Brothers long-term Treasury bond index). In terms of risk-adjusted returns, managed futures had the smaller drawdown (a term CTAs use to refer to the maximum peak-to-valley drop in an equities’ performance history) among the three groups between Jan 1980 and May 2003. During this period managed futures had a -15.7% maximum drawdown while the Nasdaq Composite Index had one of -75% and the S&P 500 stock index had one of -44.7%. An additional benefit of managed futures includes risk reduction through portfolio diversification by means of negative correlation between asset groups. As an asset class, managed futures programs are largely inversely correlated with stocks and bonds. For example, during periods of inflationary pressure, investing in managed futures programs that track the metals markets (like gold and silver) or foreign currency futures can provide a substantial hedge to the damage such an environment can have on equities and bonds. In other words, if stocks and bonds underperform due to rising inflation concerns, certain managed futures programs might outperform in these same market conditions. Hence, combining managed futures with these other asset groups may optimize your allocation of investment capital. Evaluating CTAs Before investing in any asset class or with an individual money manager you should make some important assessments, and much of the information you need to do so can be found in the CTA’s disclosure document. Disclosure documents must be provided to you upon request even if you are still considering an investment with the CTA. The disclosure document will contain important information about the CTA’s trading plan and fees (which can vary substantially between CTAs, but generally are 2% for management and 20% for performance incentive). In addition, most CTA’s require large minimum investments, however investors can get around this buy going through a commodities brokerage firm that has an agreement with various CTA’s and acts as a liaison between the investor and the CTA. Another benefit of working with a broker, is their ability to create a CTA diversified porfolio to match your goals and risk tollerence. In Conclusion Managed Futures can help: 1. Help improve portfolio performance 2. Reduce portfolio volatility risk 3. Non-correlated investment (to stocks & bonds) 4. Historically serve as a natural hedge against inflation. 5. Portfolios incorporating Managed Futures show substantially less risk at every possible level of expected return than portfolios of stocks (or stocks & bonds) alone.* * Chicago Board of Trade, “Managed Futures”, Publication (2003 edition). Futures trading involves risk of loss and is not appropriate for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results
Managed Futures describes and industry that is made up of professional money mangers who trade in investments such as commodities, futures, and foreign currency in lieu of traditional investment s such as stocks and bonds. These money managers are called Commodity Trading Advisors(CTAs) Unlike commodity or stockbrokers who makes recommendations on individual commodities or stocks, Commodity Trading Advisors have a proven track record and trading style,and are under strict regulation with the NFA National Futures Association. Whether the economy is in a recession, an economic boom or is stagnant…whether interest rates rise or fall…whether there is an economic crisis or stability…in virtually any economic environment, professionally managed futures, unlike stocks, can potentially prosper. Defining Managed Futures The term "managed futures" refers to a 30-year-old industry made up of professional money managers who are known as "commodity trading advisors" (CTAs). CTAs are required to register with the U.S. government’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) before they can offer themselves to the public as money managers. CTAs are also required to go through an FBI deep background check, and provide rigorous disclosure documents (and independent audits of financial statements every year), which are reviewed by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory watchdog organization. CTAs generally manage their clients’ assets using a proprietary trading system, or a discretionary method, that may involve going long or short in futures contracts in areas such as metals (gold, silver), grains (soybeans, corn, wheat), equity indexes (S&P futures, Dow futures, NASDAQ 100 futures), soft commodities (cotton, cocoa, coffee, sugar) as well as foreign currency and U.S government bond futures. In the past several years, money invested in managed futures has more than doubled and is estimated to continue to grow in the coming years if hedge fund returns flatten and stocks underperform. Benefits of Managed Futures 1. Reduced Portfolio Volatility Risk – The primary benefit of adding a managed futures component to a diversified investment portfolio is that it may decrease portfolio volatility risk. This risk-reduction contribution to the portfolio is possible because of the low to slightly negative correlation of managed futures with equities and bonds. One of the key tenets of Modern Portfolio Theory, as developed by the Nobel Prize economist Dr. Harry M. Markowitz, is that more efficient investment portfolios can be created by diversifying among asset categories with low to negative correlations. 2. Potential for Enhanced Portfolio Returns – While managed futures can decrease portfolio volatility risk, they can also simultaneously enhance overall portfolio performance. Adding managed futures to a traditional portfolio can help to improve overall investment quality. This is substantiated by an extensive bank of academic research, beginning with the landmark study of Dr. John Lintner of Harvard University, in which he wrote that “The combined portfolios of stocks (or stocks and bonds) after including judicious investments…in leveraged managed futures accounts show substantially less risk at every possible level of expected return than portfolios of stocks (or stocks and bonds) alone.” (Lintner, John, “The Potential Role of Managed Commodity Financial Futures Accounts (and/or Funds) in Portfolios of Stocks and Bonds,” Annual Conference of Financial Analysts Federation, May 1983) 3. Ability to Take Advantage of Any Economic Environment – Managed futures trading advisors can take advantage of price trends. They can buy futures positions in anticipation of a rising market or sell futures positions if they anticipate a falling market. For example, during periods of hyperinflation, hard commodities such as gold, silver, oil, grains, and livestock tend to do well, as do the major world currencies. During deflationary times, futures provide an opportunity to profit by selling into a declining market with the expectation of buying, or closing out the position, at a lower price. Trading advisors can even use strategies employing options on futures contracts that allow for profit potential in flat or neutral markets. However, profits are not guaranteed, and there is risk of substantial loss. 4. Ease of Global Diversification – The establishment of global futures exchanges and the accompanying increase in actively traded contract offerings has allowed trading advisors to diversify their portfolios by geography as well as by product. For example, managed futures accounts can participate in at least 150 different markets worldwide, including stock indexes, financial instruments, agricultural products, precious and nonferrous metals, currencies, and energy products. Trading advisors thus have ample opportunity for profit potential and risk reduction among a broad array of non-correlated markets. Managing Risk One of the major arguments for diversifying into managed futures is their potential to lower portfolio risk. Such an argument is supported by many academic studies of the effects of combining traditional asset classes with alternative investments such as managed futures. Dr John Lintner of Harvard University is perhaps the most cited for his research in this area. Taken as an alternative investment class on its own, the managed-futures class has produced comparable returns in the decade before 2005. For example, between 1993 and 2002, managed futures had a compound average annual return of 6.9%, while for U.S. stocks (based on the S&P 500 total return index) the return was 9.3% and 9.5% for U.S. Treasury bonds (based on the Lehman Brothers long-term Treasury bond index). In terms of risk-adjusted returns, managed futures had the smaller drawdown (a term CTAs use to refer to the maximum peak-to-valley drop in an equities’ performance history) among the three groups between Jan 1980 and May 2003. During this period managed futures had a -15.7% maximum drawdown while the Nasdaq Composite Index had one of -75% and the S&P 500 stock index had one of -44.7%. An additional benefit of managed futures includes risk reduction through portfolio diversification by means of negative correlation between asset groups. As an asset class, managed futures programs are largely inversely correlated with stocks and bonds. For example, during periods of inflationary pressure, investing in managed futures programs that track the metals markets (like gold and silver) or foreign currency futures can provide a substantial hedge to the damage such an environment can have on equities and bonds. In other words, if stocks and bonds underperform due to rising inflation concerns, certain managed futures programs might outperform in these same market conditions. Hence, combining managed futures with these other asset groups may optimize your allocation of investment capital. Evaluating CTAs Before investing in any asset class or with an individual money manager you should make some important assessments, and much of the information you need to do so can be found in the CTA’s disclosure document. Disclosure documents must be provided to you upon request even if you are still considering an investment with the CTA. The disclosure document will contain important information about the CTA’s trading plan and fees (which can vary substantially between CTAs, but generally are 2% for management and 20% for performance incentive). In addition, most CTA’s require large minimum investments, however investors can get around this buy going through a commodities brokerage firm that has an agreement with various CTA’s and acts as a liaison between the investor and the CTA. Another benefit of working with a broker, is their ability to create a CTA diversified porfolio to match your goals and risk tollerence. In Conclusion Managed Futures can help: 1. Help improve portfolio performance 2. Reduce portfolio volatility risk 3. Non-correlated investment (to stocks & bonds) 4. Historically serve as a natural hedge against inflation. 5. Portfolios incorporating Managed Futures show substantially less risk at every possible level of expected return than portfolios of stocks (or stocks & bonds) alone.* * Chicago Board of Trade, “Managed Futures”, Publication (2003 edition). Futures trading involves risk of loss and is not appropriate for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results
Feb
3
Reo Buyers Left Empty Handed are Finding Proven Investment Strategies in Declining Global Market
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Marcel Ford
doesn’t seem as grossly belied as six months to a year ago, prospective buyers of bulk REO (known as real estate owned, bank owned or foreclosed properties) portfolios are still experiencing immense frustration in finding product with the aftermath of "intermediaries" operating on the Internet.
Over the last eighteen months, a depressed real estate market, coupled by ever increasing foreclosure rates and a severe downward spiral of fresh mortgages, is only fueling many imploded mortgage brokers to parlay their attempts into linking buyers with banks distressed assets. These internet "brokers" with minimalistic experiences in the workings of liquidating distressed assets, create lengthy chains of "intermediary brokers" between supposed buyers and supposed sellers in their eternal search for product. The end result is they are ill-equipped in delivering product, are ineffective in collaborating with the client’s requests, and do not fully understand the protocol that needs to be followed. Oftentimes, a buyer’s assets are floated in cyber-space filtered from one intermediary source to another. Dissuasion begins to form in the buyer’s mind, he is told he can readily purchase REOs in the low 20 to 30% LTV and gets the false illusion that such packages readily exist.
Another seen result of these "broker chains" is the nefarious plot towards luring prospective clients towards "available REO packages" which emanates from some obscure place and is leaked to several of these "intermediary brokers" who cross-pollinate these packages amongst the "broker chains". The sad part of this is that many times it ultimately ends up with potential buyers who have the means and the wherewithal to consummate the transaction and end up finding that there is no true platform selling the assets, their time is wasted and confidence in the system eroded.
As a burned child is carried out of a burning house, buyers often find themselves entering another furnace the more they look. We have spoken to several clients who have been searching for REO packages for over a year with no success.
Daniel Bruckner emphasizes that it is important to answer the following questions:
Has anyone explained to those looking to get into the REO bulk buying pool specific questions on the matter? Have these "brokers" ever seen a banks "addendum" for REO buys? Do they even realize that even in a "small" trade of $40M (U.S) in REOs that there are MAJOR title issues, an immense amount of legal work, analytical costs, very complicated contracts, compliance issues and on and on? There is also a plethora of work to secure, insure and deal with the properties let alone liquidating them as well. We have seen several different law firms and countless man hours go into just the due diligence phase.
Since late 2006 to present, there have been 267 major U.S. lending institutions that have imploded. Out of these, the most recent are Wachovia Mortgage, (FSB Wholesale), Lehman Brothers (SBF), IndyMac Bancorp, Mortgages, Ltd and Wilmington Finance (Wholesale).
So, what is the necessitous buyer to do?
"Become educated on the capital markets," Bruckner remarks. "This is where InvestorEarth’s gregariousness comes into play and gives us the opportunity to further educate those individuals’ expectations.
In a declining global market, many buyers are wrought in difficulty in their pursuit to secure an appropriate ROI. In the declining global market, the preferred investment vehicles of today include REOs, CMOs (Collateralized Mortgage Obligations), BGs (Bank Guarantees), MTNs (Medium Term Notes) and HYPIPs (High Yielding Private Investment Programs) – all which achieve above average returns during a recession. While you may be well-versed on REO’s, the mass of incoming interests lies upon MTNs, CMOs and most excitably HYPIPs. Many, possibly all of these vehicles, may appear unfamiliar to you, Once they are explained and the ROIs realized, the intoxication gravitating towards these programs becomes overwhelming for our clients and they generally want little to do with bulk REOs are they invest forward.
InvestorEarth.com plays a much broader and sophisticated role to high net worth investors and investment groups by educating those who come to us wanting to profit in the dynamic capital markets of REOs, CMOs, BGs, MTNs, HIPIPs and other popular investment commodities.
doesn’t seem as grossly belied as six months to a year ago, prospective buyers of bulk REO (known as real estate owned, bank owned or foreclosed properties) portfolios are still experiencing immense frustration in finding product with the aftermath of "intermediaries" operating on the Internet.
Over the last eighteen months, a depressed real estate market, coupled by ever increasing foreclosure rates and a severe downward spiral of fresh mortgages, is only fueling many imploded mortgage brokers to parlay their attempts into linking buyers with banks distressed assets. These internet "brokers" with minimalistic experiences in the workings of liquidating distressed assets, create lengthy chains of "intermediary brokers" between supposed buyers and supposed sellers in their eternal search for product. The end result is they are ill-equipped in delivering product, are ineffective in collaborating with the client’s requests, and do not fully understand the protocol that needs to be followed. Oftentimes, a buyer’s assets are floated in cyber-space filtered from one intermediary source to another. Dissuasion begins to form in the buyer’s mind, he is told he can readily purchase REOs in the low 20 to 30% LTV and gets the false illusion that such packages readily exist.
Another seen result of these "broker chains" is the nefarious plot towards luring prospective clients towards "available REO packages" which emanates from some obscure place and is leaked to several of these "intermediary brokers" who cross-pollinate these packages amongst the "broker chains". The sad part of this is that many times it ultimately ends up with potential buyers who have the means and the wherewithal to consummate the transaction and end up finding that there is no true platform selling the assets, their time is wasted and confidence in the system eroded.
As a burned child is carried out of a burning house, buyers often find themselves entering another furnace the more they look. We have spoken to several clients who have been searching for REO packages for over a year with no success.
Daniel Bruckner emphasizes that it is important to answer the following questions:
Has anyone explained to those looking to get into the REO bulk buying pool specific questions on the matter? Have these "brokers" ever seen a banks "addendum" for REO buys? Do they even realize that even in a "small" trade of $40M (U.S) in REOs that there are MAJOR title issues, an immense amount of legal work, analytical costs, very complicated contracts, compliance issues and on and on? There is also a plethora of work to secure, insure and deal with the properties let alone liquidating them as well. We have seen several different law firms and countless man hours go into just the due diligence phase.
Since late 2006 to present, there have been 267 major U.S. lending institutions that have imploded. Out of these, the most recent are Wachovia Mortgage, (FSB Wholesale), Lehman Brothers (SBF), IndyMac Bancorp, Mortgages, Ltd and Wilmington Finance (Wholesale).
So, what is the necessitous buyer to do?
"Become educated on the capital markets," Bruckner remarks. "This is where InvestorEarth’s gregariousness comes into play and gives us the opportunity to further educate those individuals’ expectations.
In a declining global market, many buyers are wrought in difficulty in their pursuit to secure an appropriate ROI. In the declining global market, the preferred investment vehicles of today include REOs, CMOs (Collateralized Mortgage Obligations), BGs (Bank Guarantees), MTNs (Medium Term Notes) and HYPIPs (High Yielding Private Investment Programs) – all which achieve above average returns during a recession. While you may be well-versed on REO’s, the mass of incoming interests lies upon MTNs, CMOs and most excitably HYPIPs. Many, possibly all of these vehicles, may appear unfamiliar to you, Once they are explained and the ROIs realized, the intoxication gravitating towards these programs becomes overwhelming for our clients and they generally want little to do with bulk REOs are they invest forward.
InvestorEarth.com plays a much broader and sophisticated role to high net worth investors and investment groups by educating those who come to us wanting to profit in the dynamic capital markets of REOs, CMOs, BGs, MTNs, HIPIPs and other popular investment commodities.
Jan
9
Reo Buyers Left Empty Handed are Finding Proven Investment Strategies in Declining Global Market
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Marcel Ford
doesn’t seem as grossly belied as six months to a year ago, prospective buyers of bulk REO (known as real estate owned, bank owned or foreclosed properties) portfolios are still experiencing immense frustration in finding product with the aftermath of "intermediaries" operating on the Internet.
Over the last eighteen months, a depressed real estate market, coupled by ever increasing foreclosure rates and a severe downward spiral of fresh mortgages, is only fueling many imploded mortgage brokers to parlay their attempts into linking buyers with banks distressed assets. These internet "brokers" with minimalistic experiences in the workings of liquidating distressed assets, create lengthy chains of "intermediary brokers" between supposed buyers and supposed sellers in their eternal search for product. The end result is they are ill-equipped in delivering product, are ineffective in collaborating with the client’s requests, and do not fully understand the protocol that needs to be followed. Oftentimes, a buyer’s assets are floated in cyber-space filtered from one intermediary source to another. Dissuasion begins to form in the buyer’s mind, he is told he can readily purchase REOs in the low 20 to 30% LTV and gets the false illusion that such packages readily exist.
Another seen result of these "broker chains" is the nefarious plot towards luring prospective clients towards "available REO packages" which emanates from some obscure place and is leaked to several of these "intermediary brokers" who cross-pollinate these packages amongst the "broker chains". The sad part of this is that many times it ultimately ends up with potential buyers who have the means and the wherewithal to consummate the transaction and end up finding that there is no true platform selling the assets, their time is wasted and confidence in the system eroded.
As a burned child is carried out of a burning house, buyers often find themselves entering another furnace the more they look. We have spoken to several clients who have been searching for REO packages for over a year with no success.
Daniel Bruckner emphasizes that it is important to answer the following questions:
Has anyone explained to those looking to get into the REO bulk buying pool specific questions on the matter? Have these "brokers" ever seen a banks "addendum" for REO buys? Do they even realize that even in a "small" trade of $40M (U.S) in REOs that there are MAJOR title issues, an immense amount of legal work, analytical costs, very complicated contracts, compliance issues and on and on? There is also a plethora of work to secure, insure and deal with the properties let alone liquidating them as well. We have seen several different law firms and countless man hours go into just the due diligence phase.
Since late 2006 to present, there have been 267 major U.S. lending institutions that have imploded. Out of these, the most recent are Wachovia Mortgage, (FSB Wholesale), Lehman Brothers (SBF), IndyMac Bancorp, Mortgages, Ltd and Wilmington Finance (Wholesale).
So, what is the necessitous buyer to do?
"Become educated on the capital markets," Bruckner remarks. "This is where InvestorEarth’s gregariousness comes into play and gives us the opportunity to further educate those individuals’ expectations.
In a declining global market, many buyers are wrought in difficulty in their pursuit to secure an appropriate ROI. In the declining global market, the preferred investment vehicles of today include REOs, CMOs (Collateralized Mortgage Obligations), BGs (Bank Guarantees), MTNs (Medium Term Notes) and HYPIPs (High Yielding Private Investment Programs) – all which achieve above average returns during a recession. While you may be well-versed on REO’s, the mass of incoming interests lies upon MTNs, CMOs and most excitably HYPIPs. Many, possibly all of these vehicles, may appear unfamiliar to you, Once they are explained and the ROIs realized, the intoxication gravitating towards these programs becomes overwhelming for our clients and they generally want little to do with bulk REOs are they invest forward.
InvestorEarth.com plays a much broader and sophisticated role to high net worth investors and investment groups by educating those who come to us wanting to profit in the dynamic capital markets of REOs, CMOs, BGs, MTNs, HIPIPs and other popular investment commodities.
doesn’t seem as grossly belied as six months to a year ago, prospective buyers of bulk REO (known as real estate owned, bank owned or foreclosed properties) portfolios are still experiencing immense frustration in finding product with the aftermath of "intermediaries" operating on the Internet.
Over the last eighteen months, a depressed real estate market, coupled by ever increasing foreclosure rates and a severe downward spiral of fresh mortgages, is only fueling many imploded mortgage brokers to parlay their attempts into linking buyers with banks distressed assets. These internet "brokers" with minimalistic experiences in the workings of liquidating distressed assets, create lengthy chains of "intermediary brokers" between supposed buyers and supposed sellers in their eternal search for product. The end result is they are ill-equipped in delivering product, are ineffective in collaborating with the client’s requests, and do not fully understand the protocol that needs to be followed. Oftentimes, a buyer’s assets are floated in cyber-space filtered from one intermediary source to another. Dissuasion begins to form in the buyer’s mind, he is told he can readily purchase REOs in the low 20 to 30% LTV and gets the false illusion that such packages readily exist.
Another seen result of these "broker chains" is the nefarious plot towards luring prospective clients towards "available REO packages" which emanates from some obscure place and is leaked to several of these "intermediary brokers" who cross-pollinate these packages amongst the "broker chains". The sad part of this is that many times it ultimately ends up with potential buyers who have the means and the wherewithal to consummate the transaction and end up finding that there is no true platform selling the assets, their time is wasted and confidence in the system eroded.
As a burned child is carried out of a burning house, buyers often find themselves entering another furnace the more they look. We have spoken to several clients who have been searching for REO packages for over a year with no success.
Daniel Bruckner emphasizes that it is important to answer the following questions:
Has anyone explained to those looking to get into the REO bulk buying pool specific questions on the matter? Have these "brokers" ever seen a banks "addendum" for REO buys? Do they even realize that even in a "small" trade of $40M (U.S) in REOs that there are MAJOR title issues, an immense amount of legal work, analytical costs, very complicated contracts, compliance issues and on and on? There is also a plethora of work to secure, insure and deal with the properties let alone liquidating them as well. We have seen several different law firms and countless man hours go into just the due diligence phase.
Since late 2006 to present, there have been 267 major U.S. lending institutions that have imploded. Out of these, the most recent are Wachovia Mortgage, (FSB Wholesale), Lehman Brothers (SBF), IndyMac Bancorp, Mortgages, Ltd and Wilmington Finance (Wholesale).
So, what is the necessitous buyer to do?
"Become educated on the capital markets," Bruckner remarks. "This is where InvestorEarth’s gregariousness comes into play and gives us the opportunity to further educate those individuals’ expectations.
In a declining global market, many buyers are wrought in difficulty in their pursuit to secure an appropriate ROI. In the declining global market, the preferred investment vehicles of today include REOs, CMOs (Collateralized Mortgage Obligations), BGs (Bank Guarantees), MTNs (Medium Term Notes) and HYPIPs (High Yielding Private Investment Programs) – all which achieve above average returns during a recession. While you may be well-versed on REO’s, the mass of incoming interests lies upon MTNs, CMOs and most excitably HYPIPs. Many, possibly all of these vehicles, may appear unfamiliar to you, Once they are explained and the ROIs realized, the intoxication gravitating towards these programs becomes overwhelming for our clients and they generally want little to do with bulk REOs are they invest forward.
InvestorEarth.com plays a much broader and sophisticated role to high net worth investors and investment groups by educating those who come to us wanting to profit in the dynamic capital markets of REOs, CMOs, BGs, MTNs, HIPIPs and other popular investment commodities.
Oct
25
If You are Interested in Commodity Investing then Try these Tips
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Mark Plummer
If you’ve heard of commodities trading, you might be interested in knowing more about it. Commodities are products of commerce that are traded in commodity markets. These are materials such as financial investments, foreign currencies, agricultural products, metals and petroleum. When commodities markets began, they were used as agricultural trade platforms for local communities, utilized for agricultural products. Today, commodity markets have gone global, with country barriers broken down via technological advancements. Globalization and industrialization have meant that these goods have also been industrialized and the world has become its own trading center.
When you trade commodities, you must follow certain rules. First, trading is done only for products that are standard. Second, commodity transactions are done through something called “futures contracts.” With futures contracts, commodities are actually bought or sold on a future date, not the present date. However, the commodity’s selling price is agreed upon immediately when the contract is made. Therefore, even though the commodity is sold at a future date, the price itself is already fixed when the contract is made.
“Futures contracts” aren’t the only type of commodities contracts. Spot contracts are put in place so that commodities get transferred when a contract is made instead of at a later date. You use a spot contract to exercise future contract after a period of time has gone by. Some types of commodities investing include commodity food market, commodity fund investing, and commodity petroleum.
When commodities investing started, trading was done in just a few sectors. In addition, commodities were restricted to those used in regular, everyday life. Presently, anyone who wants to engage in commodities trading can.
If you decide you want to invest in commodities, you should know that one of their advantages is reduced risk. Commodities investment can help you even out losses that might occur in other areas you’ve invested in. Commodities can offer less risk because when you deal with commodities, you invest in a number of items. Because you are using futures contracts, you can also more easily ensure that the risks you take are much lower than they might be, so that you can reduce or even eliminate risk.
If you want to monitor a particular commodity’s performance, you can do so pretty easily. This is because in general, a particular commodity will perform well when other areas such as the stock market are not doing as well. By contrast, when the stock market is doing well, the commodities market might be doing more poorly. This makes it much easier to predict what commodity prices will be and to foresee market changes. However, even though this is a basic rule of thumb, it still should not be used as a means to actually predict true performance in any market sector, including the stock market, commodities market, et cetera.
If you’re interested in learning more about trading commodities, there are commodity-trading advisors who can help you. These are individuals or firms who can help you decide what your position should be in the commodity market, either long or short. They can also tell you when it’s best to liquidate your position. In addition, they can help you see if your goals will match with their particular trading philosophies and strategies.
For the best commodity-trading advisor, first figure out what your own goals and objectives are. Then, choose an advisor that matches what you want as closely as possible. Communications these days are easy, and you can keep in touch with your advisor by fax, pager, phone, or e-mail. In addition, if you don’t want to trade in commodities yourself, you can still invest in commodities trading by utilizing a variety of investment funds that do just this with their portfolios.
If you’ve heard of commodities trading, you might be interested in knowing more about it. Commodities are products of commerce that are traded in commodity markets. These are materials such as financial investments, foreign currencies, agricultural products, metals and petroleum. When commodities markets began, they were used as agricultural trade platforms for local communities, utilized for agricultural products. Today, commodity markets have gone global, with country barriers broken down via technological advancements. Globalization and industrialization have meant that these goods have also been industrialized and the world has become its own trading center.
When you trade commodities, you must follow certain rules. First, trading is done only for products that are standard. Second, commodity transactions are done through something called “futures contracts.” With futures contracts, commodities are actually bought or sold on a future date, not the present date. However, the commodity’s selling price is agreed upon immediately when the contract is made. Therefore, even though the commodity is sold at a future date, the price itself is already fixed when the contract is made.
“Futures contracts” aren’t the only type of commodities contracts. Spot contracts are put in place so that commodities get transferred when a contract is made instead of at a later date. You use a spot contract to exercise future contract after a period of time has gone by. Some types of commodities investing include commodity food market, commodity fund investing, and commodity petroleum.
When commodities investing started, trading was done in just a few sectors. In addition, commodities were restricted to those used in regular, everyday life. Presently, anyone who wants to engage in commodities trading can.
If you decide you want to invest in commodities, you should know that one of their advantages is reduced risk. Commodities investment can help you even out losses that might occur in other areas you’ve invested in. Commodities can offer less risk because when you deal with commodities, you invest in a number of items. Because you are using futures contracts, you can also more easily ensure that the risks you take are much lower than they might be, so that you can reduce or even eliminate risk.
If you want to monitor a particular commodity’s performance, you can do so pretty easily. This is because in general, a particular commodity will perform well when other areas such as the stock market are not doing as well. By contrast, when the stock market is doing well, the commodities market might be doing more poorly. This makes it much easier to predict what commodity prices will be and to foresee market changes. However, even though this is a basic rule of thumb, it still should not be used as a means to actually predict true performance in any market sector, including the stock market, commodities market, et cetera.
If you’re interested in learning more about trading commodities, there are commodity-trading advisors who can help you. These are individuals or firms who can help you decide what your position should be in the commodity market, either long or short. They can also tell you when it’s best to liquidate your position. In addition, they can help you see if your goals will match with their particular trading philosophies and strategies.
For the best commodity-trading advisor, first figure out what your own goals and objectives are. Then, choose an advisor that matches what you want as closely as possible. Communications these days are easy, and you can keep in touch with your advisor by fax, pager, phone, or e-mail. In addition, if you don’t want to trade in commodities yourself, you can still invest in commodities trading by utilizing a variety of investment funds that do just this with their portfolios.
Oct
1
How To Get Started With Commodity Training
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Joel Teo
Commodity trading is an exciting investing opportunity that was once limited to brokers but that thanks to the internet anyone can play in. Here’s how to get started with commodity trading.
Commodity markets move primary or raw product which are traded on commodities exchanges and it’s important that you know how to get started with commodity trading so that you learn how to buy and sell commodities.
The internet has opened up the commodity market and primary products like sugar, corn, precious metals, and so much more are being traded online. Commodity marks deal with non financial instruments like bonds. Once you know how to get started with commodity trading you won’t have any problem deciphering the different categories.
Prior to online trading there were places designated for commodities exchanges. You would have to appear there or have a broker that would negotiate for the commodity you wanted. Needless to say how to get started with commodity trading was a lot more complicated.
Today finding out how to get started with commodity trading is available 24/7 on the internet with access being very easy both for learning and for buying and selling. There is no reason to have a broker anymore. The electronic age has certainly changed how we do business.
One of the biggest perks now is the transparency of the price. The top 5 bids are displayed which allows for fair trade. It also makes it easier to learn how to get started with commodity trading.
Commodity investing is an investment that can make you some nice profit. But of course they also carry some risk. Learning how to get started with commodity trading and how to trade right will give you the least amount of risk.
There are all kinds of websites that offer commodity trading online. Generally there is a fee for setting up an account. Some even have a minimum amount that you must put in your account. Most of these sights have a host of tools to help you learn how to get started with commodity trading and to help you make the best trades possible.
Commodity training online is a very lucrative business and if you really would like to move yourself into a different earnings class may we suggest you learn how to get started with commodity trading. You won’t be sorry and it won’t be long before you are making all the right moves.
Copyright © 2007 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author’s information with live links only.)
Commodity trading is an exciting investing opportunity that was once limited to brokers but that thanks to the internet anyone can play in. Here’s how to get started with commodity trading.
Commodity markets move primary or raw product which are traded on commodities exchanges and it’s important that you know how to get started with commodity trading so that you learn how to buy and sell commodities.
The internet has opened up the commodity market and primary products like sugar, corn, precious metals, and so much more are being traded online. Commodity marks deal with non financial instruments like bonds. Once you know how to get started with commodity trading you won’t have any problem deciphering the different categories.
Prior to online trading there were places designated for commodities exchanges. You would have to appear there or have a broker that would negotiate for the commodity you wanted. Needless to say how to get started with commodity trading was a lot more complicated.
Today finding out how to get started with commodity trading is available 24/7 on the internet with access being very easy both for learning and for buying and selling. There is no reason to have a broker anymore. The electronic age has certainly changed how we do business.
One of the biggest perks now is the transparency of the price. The top 5 bids are displayed which allows for fair trade. It also makes it easier to learn how to get started with commodity trading.
Commodity investing is an investment that can make you some nice profit. But of course they also carry some risk. Learning how to get started with commodity trading and how to trade right will give you the least amount of risk.
There are all kinds of websites that offer commodity trading online. Generally there is a fee for setting up an account. Some even have a minimum amount that you must put in your account. Most of these sights have a host of tools to help you learn how to get started with commodity trading and to help you make the best trades possible.
Commodity training online is a very lucrative business and if you really would like to move yourself into a different earnings class may we suggest you learn how to get started with commodity trading. You won’t be sorry and it won’t be long before you are making all the right moves.
Copyright © 2007 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author’s information with live links only.)
Sep
30
Gary Giardina
If you’re looking to get into commodities trading, you should first understand what it means. Commodities are products that are bought, sold and usually not processed. Some examples of commodities are financial investments and agricultural products. Foreign currencies are also in that group.
A lot of products that used to trade locally have now expanded into the global market. Thanks to technology, more money can be made by the global expansion. Many countries, including the United States, have become one big melting pot for global trading.
When commodities first evolved, not a lot of people were using them. When people found out that it was better to take a risk on this as opposed to stocks and bonds, more people jumped on board. Now anyone can get involved in commodities trading.
When you’re involved in a commodity transaction, it is set up through futures contracts. Futures contracts are purchased and/or sold on the date specified for the future. A price is put in place and the transaction is completed at a later time.
There are also contracts called spot contracts. These are contracts that are used for transferred commodities. They get shifted when a contract is created then instead of a future date. This type of contract can be used for a future contract after a specific time period. The type of commodities investing can vary.
When you invest in commodities, you don’t have to endure a lot of risks. That’s why people like to invest in them. When you get an increase in commodities, it can offset any losses you may have. The risks in commodities are minimal because you’re investing in different things. When you have contracts for later dates, you don’t encounter a lot of risks.
There is not a problem when you’re watching how your commodities work out. Even when stocks and other stuff aren’t going so good, you can at least count on your commodities to hang tough. Unlike stocks, you can tell how well commodities are going to do. You should never compare stocks and bond with commodities because they are two different entities. Plus, stocks and bonds are more volatile because of their uncertainty in the daily market.
If you’re not familiar with investing in commodities, you should find someone who is knowledgeable in it. Commodity trading advisors can assist you on what to do in the market. They will also let you know when it’s time to get rid of that commodity.
When choosing an advisor, look at what you what to accomplish. After you’ve done that, find someone who would be able to help you with your goals. You don’t necessarily have to go to a brick and mortar facility. Since people are so busy these days, it might be better if you contact them by phone or e-mail first. Then you can set up a time to meet, if necessary.
You can do other things besides trading in commodities. You can also make investments using a diverse package of funds.
With commodities, you are less likely to lose money than you would if you were strictly investing in stocks and bonds. That’s why it’s important to diversify your money if you’re planning on creating a nice financial portfolio.
If you’re looking to get into commodities trading, you should first understand what it means. Commodities are products that are bought, sold and usually not processed. Some examples of commodities are financial investments and agricultural products. Foreign currencies are also in that group.
A lot of products that used to trade locally have now expanded into the global market. Thanks to technology, more money can be made by the global expansion. Many countries, including the United States, have become one big melting pot for global trading.
When commodities first evolved, not a lot of people were using them. When people found out that it was better to take a risk on this as opposed to stocks and bonds, more people jumped on board. Now anyone can get involved in commodities trading.
When you’re involved in a commodity transaction, it is set up through futures contracts. Futures contracts are purchased and/or sold on the date specified for the future. A price is put in place and the transaction is completed at a later time.
There are also contracts called spot contracts. These are contracts that are used for transferred commodities. They get shifted when a contract is created then instead of a future date. This type of contract can be used for a future contract after a specific time period. The type of commodities investing can vary.
When you invest in commodities, you don’t have to endure a lot of risks. That’s why people like to invest in them. When you get an increase in commodities, it can offset any losses you may have. The risks in commodities are minimal because you’re investing in different things. When you have contracts for later dates, you don’t encounter a lot of risks.
There is not a problem when you’re watching how your commodities work out. Even when stocks and other stuff aren’t going so good, you can at least count on your commodities to hang tough. Unlike stocks, you can tell how well commodities are going to do. You should never compare stocks and bond with commodities because they are two different entities. Plus, stocks and bonds are more volatile because of their uncertainty in the daily market.
If you’re not familiar with investing in commodities, you should find someone who is knowledgeable in it. Commodity trading advisors can assist you on what to do in the market. They will also let you know when it’s time to get rid of that commodity.
When choosing an advisor, look at what you what to accomplish. After you’ve done that, find someone who would be able to help you with your goals. You don’t necessarily have to go to a brick and mortar facility. Since people are so busy these days, it might be better if you contact them by phone or e-mail first. Then you can set up a time to meet, if necessary.
You can do other things besides trading in commodities. You can also make investments using a diverse package of funds.
With commodities, you are less likely to lose money than you would if you were strictly investing in stocks and bonds. That’s why it’s important to diversify your money if you’re planning on creating a nice financial portfolio.
Sep
30
Who Is Investing in Commodities?
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Caterina Christakos
The easiest answer for this question is: anyone who does not mind being in a riskier market. In fact, the commodities market is reputed to be so volatile that fortunes can be made or lost in a matter of minutes or hours, if you don’t know what you are doing. To get a better understanding of investing in the commodities market, let us take a look at some of the basics.
What is a commodity?
A commodity is anything that can be bought or sold. Examples of a commodity can include oil, gold, oranges and currency. When you invest in commodities, you are basically betting on what the market will do. You will bet that the price of oranges will rise or that the value of the dollar will fall.
Investment strategies in commodities
Most financial experts do not recommend investing anything in the commodities market that you can not afford to lose. It is not the investment type for someone who wishes for a safe investment for their retirement account, unless you put your money into a managed account.
However, if you do not mind higher risk in return for the greater chance of higher returns, commodities might be a good option. Commodities are a great way to use a portion of your portfolio in higher risk/higher return investment, but should never be used as a major segment of your portfolio.
Safe investing in commodities
If you really want to take your turn at commodities investment, but want to minimize your risk, take a look at commodities funds. Because these funds include a mixture of different commodities, the risk may be minimized by the very nature of the portfolio.
If it is riskier, why would anyone invest in commodities?
The return, when someone wins in the market, can be extremely high. There have been a number of millionaires made through commodities trading and will do so again in the future.
In addition, it has long been understood that the commodities market is a great hedge against inflation. When inflation unexpectedly hits, the commodities funds tend to do a lot better.
Finally, commodities are always in demand. Gold, oil and currency will always have a market because we need them. They will never become outdated and the demand will never disappear.
Investing in commodities may be the perfect investment for anyone who doesn’t mind using a small portion of their portfolio in higher risk activities in order to achieve a higher reward. If you do not have the time to follow markets and industries on a day to day or hour to hour basis, checking out the commodities funds are the next best thing.
The easiest answer for this question is: anyone who does not mind being in a riskier market. In fact, the commodities market is reputed to be so volatile that fortunes can be made or lost in a matter of minutes or hours, if you don’t know what you are doing. To get a better understanding of investing in the commodities market, let us take a look at some of the basics.
What is a commodity?
A commodity is anything that can be bought or sold. Examples of a commodity can include oil, gold, oranges and currency. When you invest in commodities, you are basically betting on what the market will do. You will bet that the price of oranges will rise or that the value of the dollar will fall.
Investment strategies in commodities
Most financial experts do not recommend investing anything in the commodities market that you can not afford to lose. It is not the investment type for someone who wishes for a safe investment for their retirement account, unless you put your money into a managed account.
However, if you do not mind higher risk in return for the greater chance of higher returns, commodities might be a good option. Commodities are a great way to use a portion of your portfolio in higher risk/higher return investment, but should never be used as a major segment of your portfolio.
Safe investing in commodities
If you really want to take your turn at commodities investment, but want to minimize your risk, take a look at commodities funds. Because these funds include a mixture of different commodities, the risk may be minimized by the very nature of the portfolio.
If it is riskier, why would anyone invest in commodities?
The return, when someone wins in the market, can be extremely high. There have been a number of millionaires made through commodities trading and will do so again in the future.
In addition, it has long been understood that the commodities market is a great hedge against inflation. When inflation unexpectedly hits, the commodities funds tend to do a lot better.
Finally, commodities are always in demand. Gold, oil and currency will always have a market because we need them. They will never become outdated and the demand will never disappear.
Investing in commodities may be the perfect investment for anyone who doesn’t mind using a small portion of their portfolio in higher risk activities in order to achieve a higher reward. If you do not have the time to follow markets and industries on a day to day or hour to hour basis, checking out the commodities funds are the next best thing.
Sep
25
Understanding Commodity Brokers
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
William Smith
Almost every person wishes to turn their business know how into a profitable venture, and it is commodities and futures trading that helps them get there. Basically commodities are items like, wheat, corn, gold and silver, and Cattle and Pork Bellies, Crude Oil and etc.
When farmers take their crop to “market”, they are selling commodities.
Trading commodities is the world’s one perfect business for Commodity Brokers. The upside potential is unlimited and you can control the downside. People can trade commodities on a part time basis or a full-time basis. You can spend as little as an hour or two a day yet earn a full-time income.
Who are Commodity Brokers ?
Commodity Brokers are people that are dedicated to providing their clients with the knowledge and guidance needed to succeed in trading the future markets like corn, soybeans, wheat, crude oil, unleaded gas, gold, silver, and many more.
Brokers make sure that when an order is filled, you will be called promptly. Brokers are now successfully employed after he receives his broker’s license and built up a client base during his internship.
In the present modern age of investing, commodity trading has emerged as an important player in the way many people invest. Commodity Brokers developed it as a reaction to the way the business is conducted, and it continues today in the form of commodities trading online.
Brokers keep in touch with the volatile agricultural markets & offer the best deals at current prevailing market rates to their customers. The Commodity Brokers are your eyes and ears to the futures marketplace. They have to first sell or price the crop locally and then purchase an at-the-money.
Brokers are forced to trade places with a black street hustler. They provide professional services for all sorts of commodity investors. Commodity Brokers collect commission and offer professional assistance.
Brokers are touting futures as a way to protect investors retirement-plan money against a downturn in the high-flying stock market. They use their experience to maximize customer gain. The established Commodity Brokers have the resources and network to provide sound investment advice. A commodities broker provides personal service to meet company or individual needs.
The Brokers can assist with your specific investment strategy. Some Commodity Brokers focus on a specific group of commodities and futures, while others offer diverse investment options. Brokers also serve regional or global markets.
Commodity Brokers research should be conducted when considering the purchase of commodity futures or their various options. Commodity research should include the actual good being traded and the terms of the contract being exchanged. A wise investor conducts proper commodity research before deciding on a commodity investment.
Commodity research by the Brokers can be conducted in the traditional form of a library, trade journal, or market report. More recently, it has been made available through the Internet. Many websites make commodity research easy by providing information on specific commodities, market forecasts, and historical reports.
Commodity Brokers not only closely track the commodities future options, but they also analyze and report in many financial publications. Some publications issue reports on commodities futures options monthly, while others issue daily summaries.
From one commodity market to the other, many commodity futures options are available to the Brokers . Exchanges of contracts and various goods take place in commodities futures options every day. Time invested in researching commodities futures options can prove to be profitable.
Often Commodity Brokers will provide you with insight needed to form a fair price on commodities. There is a great skill involved and it is not as simple as being able to pour through commodities reports. Without the advantages of a Broker the average person would need to devote a good deal of time and effort to understand all that is involved.
With their assistance, you will benefit from having an authority to consult with, someone who can guide you and who genuinely wants to see you succeed in your profit making skills as a commodities investor.
Thus, we can summarize this saying that good Commodity Brokers will help you to make sense of the often complicated world of commodities futures trading. Having the knack to determine the prices of unfinished goods does not come easily to most.
They are there to help you determine what the price of a particular commodity should be.
Almost every person wishes to turn their business know how into a profitable venture, and it is commodities and futures trading that helps them get there. Basically commodities are items like, wheat, corn, gold and silver, and Cattle and Pork Bellies, Crude Oil and etc.
When farmers take their crop to “market”, they are selling commodities.
Trading commodities is the world’s one perfect business for Commodity Brokers. The upside potential is unlimited and you can control the downside. People can trade commodities on a part time basis or a full-time basis. You can spend as little as an hour or two a day yet earn a full-time income.
Who are Commodity Brokers ?
Commodity Brokers are people that are dedicated to providing their clients with the knowledge and guidance needed to succeed in trading the future markets like corn, soybeans, wheat, crude oil, unleaded gas, gold, silver, and many more.
Brokers make sure that when an order is filled, you will be called promptly. Brokers are now successfully employed after he receives his broker’s license and built up a client base during his internship.
In the present modern age of investing, commodity trading has emerged as an important player in the way many people invest. Commodity Brokers developed it as a reaction to the way the business is conducted, and it continues today in the form of commodities trading online.
Brokers keep in touch with the volatile agricultural markets & offer the best deals at current prevailing market rates to their customers. The Commodity Brokers are your eyes and ears to the futures marketplace. They have to first sell or price the crop locally and then purchase an at-the-money.
Brokers are forced to trade places with a black street hustler. They provide professional services for all sorts of commodity investors. Commodity Brokers collect commission and offer professional assistance.
Brokers are touting futures as a way to protect investors retirement-plan money against a downturn in the high-flying stock market. They use their experience to maximize customer gain. The established Commodity Brokers have the resources and network to provide sound investment advice. A commodities broker provides personal service to meet company or individual needs.
The Brokers can assist with your specific investment strategy. Some Commodity Brokers focus on a specific group of commodities and futures, while others offer diverse investment options. Brokers also serve regional or global markets.
Commodity Brokers research should be conducted when considering the purchase of commodity futures or their various options. Commodity research should include the actual good being traded and the terms of the contract being exchanged. A wise investor conducts proper commodity research before deciding on a commodity investment.
Commodity research by the Brokers can be conducted in the traditional form of a library, trade journal, or market report. More recently, it has been made available through the Internet. Many websites make commodity research easy by providing information on specific commodities, market forecasts, and historical reports.
Commodity Brokers not only closely track the commodities future options, but they also analyze and report in many financial publications. Some publications issue reports on commodities futures options monthly, while others issue daily summaries.
From one commodity market to the other, many commodity futures options are available to the Brokers . Exchanges of contracts and various goods take place in commodities futures options every day. Time invested in researching commodities futures options can prove to be profitable.
Often Commodity Brokers will provide you with insight needed to form a fair price on commodities. There is a great skill involved and it is not as simple as being able to pour through commodities reports. Without the advantages of a Broker the average person would need to devote a good deal of time and effort to understand all that is involved.
With their assistance, you will benefit from having an authority to consult with, someone who can guide you and who genuinely wants to see you succeed in your profit making skills as a commodities investor.
Thus, we can summarize this saying that good Commodity Brokers will help you to make sense of the often complicated world of commodities futures trading. Having the knack to determine the prices of unfinished goods does not come easily to most.
They are there to help you determine what the price of a particular commodity should be.
Sep
20
Agriculture Investment in a Hungry World
Filed Under Finance | Leave a Comment
Mark Walters
ETF exchange traded funds are you doorway to agriculture investing in a world crying out for more food.
As the world population grows, so will the demand for food. That easy too understand, especially when you learn that the World’s population will increase from 6.6 billion now, to a United Nations estimated 9 billion by 2050. That will be like adding three Chinas!
Another vital fact is that the population is becoming significantly younger and those younger people will be eating more food than those in aging populations. Even now the consumption of meat is growing ten times faster in the developing world than it is in what we consider the developed countries.
At the same time as there is an increasing demand for food we are seeing the amount of land available to produce that food shrinking. Why? Urbanization. People are moving from the country to the cities. They are leaving the farms.
There’s more bad news. Changing weather is leading to desertification in many countries. The U.N. has released estimates that every year 12 million hectares of land turn to desert and become agriculturally unproductive.
As an example of the seriousness of the problem, Beijing’s nearest desert is only 70 km northwest of Tian’anmen Square, and this desert is on the move. It threatens to engulf China’s capital city within a few years if it can’t be stopped.
Floods, earthquakes and drought all contribute to the loss of food production.
So what does this all mean to investors? Opportunity and lots of it. It’s time to start looking world wide for companies involved with land, fertilizers, seeds, transportation, farm equipment, irrigation and veterinarian pharmaceuticals.
Rather than trying to pick companies that will prosper, why not buy a basket of agricultural investments in the form of an ETF or ETN. For example:
PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)
This fund consists of futures contracts in soy beans, corn, wheat, and sugar, with 25% being allocated towards each commodity.
We expect agriculture to be as recession proof as any investment available today . Even if we should see a global recession people must still eat and you can expect agricultural commodity prices to move higher.
Here are some of your other choices:
Dow Jones-AIG Agriculture Total Return ETN (JJA)
Dow Jones-AIG Grains Total Return ETN (JJG)
Dow Jones-AIG Livestock Total Return ETN (COW)
Market Vectors–Agribusiness ETF (MOO)
The following are all listed on the London Stock Exchange. You can buy them online through a discount broker like E-Trade:
ETFS Agriculture ETF (AIGA-LSE)
ETFS Coffee ETF (COFF-LSE)
ETFS Corn ETF (CORN-LSE)
ETFS Cotton ETF (COTN-LSE)
ETFS Grains ETF (AIGG-LSE)
ETFS Lean Hogs ETF (HOGS-LSE)
ETFS Live Cattle ETF (CATL-LSE)
ETFS Livestock ETF (AIGL-LSE)
ETFS Softs ETF (AIGS-LSE)
ETFS Soybean Oil ETF (SOYO-LSE)
ETFS Soybeans ETF (SOYB-LSE)
ETFS Sugar ETF (SUGA-LSE)
ETFS Wheat ETF (WEAT-LSE)
There are important things to understand about these commodity investments. First, some are structured as ETFs. They hold a basket of stocks like a mutual fund. You will notice that others are ETNs. An ETN is a debt instrument in which the issuer agrees to pay the return of a commodity index, minus fees and expenses.
The tax treatment of capital gains and income can also be different for ETFs and ETNs. Some of these vehicles give you exposure to commodities by investing in the futures market and throw off income from bond collateral, while others hold stocks.
Funds that use futures contracts receive “mark-to-market” treatment, meaning on a yearly basis any gains from the futures are taxed as 40% short-term, and 60% long-term gains.
If nothing else, these investments be your personal hedge against rising grocery prices.
ETF exchange traded funds are you doorway to agriculture investing in a world crying out for more food.
As the world population grows, so will the demand for food. That easy too understand, especially when you learn that the World’s population will increase from 6.6 billion now, to a United Nations estimated 9 billion by 2050. That will be like adding three Chinas!
Another vital fact is that the population is becoming significantly younger and those younger people will be eating more food than those in aging populations. Even now the consumption of meat is growing ten times faster in the developing world than it is in what we consider the developed countries.
At the same time as there is an increasing demand for food we are seeing the amount of land available to produce that food shrinking. Why? Urbanization. People are moving from the country to the cities. They are leaving the farms.
There’s more bad news. Changing weather is leading to desertification in many countries. The U.N. has released estimates that every year 12 million hectares of land turn to desert and become agriculturally unproductive.
As an example of the seriousness of the problem, Beijing’s nearest desert is only 70 km northwest of Tian’anmen Square, and this desert is on the move. It threatens to engulf China’s capital city within a few years if it can’t be stopped.
Floods, earthquakes and drought all contribute to the loss of food production.
So what does this all mean to investors? Opportunity and lots of it. It’s time to start looking world wide for companies involved with land, fertilizers, seeds, transportation, farm equipment, irrigation and veterinarian pharmaceuticals.
Rather than trying to pick companies that will prosper, why not buy a basket of agricultural investments in the form of an ETF or ETN. For example:
PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)
This fund consists of futures contracts in soy beans, corn, wheat, and sugar, with 25% being allocated towards each commodity.
We expect agriculture to be as recession proof as any investment available today . Even if we should see a global recession people must still eat and you can expect agricultural commodity prices to move higher.
Here are some of your other choices:
Dow Jones-AIG Agriculture Total Return ETN (JJA)
Dow Jones-AIG Grains Total Return ETN (JJG)
Dow Jones-AIG Livestock Total Return ETN (COW)
Market Vectors–Agribusiness ETF (MOO)
The following are all listed on the London Stock Exchange. You can buy them online through a discount broker like E-Trade:
ETFS Agriculture ETF (AIGA-LSE)
ETFS Coffee ETF (COFF-LSE)
ETFS Corn ETF (CORN-LSE)
ETFS Cotton ETF (COTN-LSE)
ETFS Grains ETF (AIGG-LSE)
ETFS Lean Hogs ETF (HOGS-LSE)
ETFS Live Cattle ETF (CATL-LSE)
ETFS Livestock ETF (AIGL-LSE)
ETFS Softs ETF (AIGS-LSE)
ETFS Soybean Oil ETF (SOYO-LSE)
ETFS Soybeans ETF (SOYB-LSE)
ETFS Sugar ETF (SUGA-LSE)
ETFS Wheat ETF (WEAT-LSE)
There are important things to understand about these commodity investments. First, some are structured as ETFs. They hold a basket of stocks like a mutual fund. You will notice that others are ETNs. An ETN is a debt instrument in which the issuer agrees to pay the return of a commodity index, minus fees and expenses.
The tax treatment of capital gains and income can also be different for ETFs and ETNs. Some of these vehicles give you exposure to commodities by investing in the futures market and throw off income from bond collateral, while others hold stocks.
Funds that use futures contracts receive “mark-to-market” treatment, meaning on a yearly basis any gains from the futures are taxed as 40% short-term, and 60% long-term gains.
If nothing else, these investments be your personal hedge against rising grocery prices.