The Risks of Commodity Investing

This article covers investment in commodities through futures contracts. It notes the unique sources of risk and return for such investments and also discusses the factors that one should take into consideration before deciding upon how much of a portfolio should be in commodities. We will see how an investment in commodities can be used as either a diversifier for a traditional portfolio or as a source of returns, depending on the market environment. Finally, it is argued that some of the considerations that apply to equity investing are also relevant for commodity investing.