US Equities Leak As Retail Sales Disappoint; CORN Pops

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com] US equities finished lower Monday as retail sales dropped unexpectedly for the third straight month, even though economists had forecasted a slight increase, raising concerns about the economic recovery that ultimately pushed down two of the three indexes for the seventh session in last eight. US Treasury five-year yields fell to a record low of 0.60 …

Potential Value Added From Commodity ETFs

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While equity ETFs have displayed some impressive form this year, they have certainly hit some rough patches in the last few years and perhaps may again in the near future. Having a sizeable fixed income ETF allocation is certainly a prudent way to minimize your risk exposure, especially if you have equities and bonds spread across various asset classes. But …

Are Commodity ETFs Bursting?

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With the commodity markets having it taken on the chin last week, this may be a good time to review what famed investment manager Jeremy Grantham had to say about this sector a week or so ago. Here’s his view, as well as the markets in general, in “Bad China, good weather will bust commodity market ‘en masse:’” Jeremy Grantham …

Oil ETFs Suffer From Demand Fear

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Crude oil took a steep dive today and closed below the $100 level for the first time since the middle of March. USO, the ETF equivalent, lost 9.11% for the day. The entire commodity index followed suit with DBC dropping 6.7%, while gold (GLD) and silver (SLV) gave back 2.88% and 11.89% respectively. The dollar was the beneficiary and gained …

Crop-Focused ETFs

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It’s no secret that energy and food prices have been the fastest rising component of the monthly CPI report. As a result, investors have poured money into crop-focused ETFs at an alarming rate, as the WSJ (subscription required) reports in “Playing With Your Food:” Corn costs more than twice what it did last June. Wheat futures have shot up by …