Commodities-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the markets in general are lower so far today as both gold and crude-oil futures consolidated after their recent strong gains. Crude oil for December delivery traded down, amid fading concerns about production disruption in Mexico. Oil prices breached the $93-a-barrel level for the first time Monday, reports Wanfeng Zhou for Thomson Financial.

The markets are down also as investors await the interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve that comes tomorrow. Traders are pricing in a 92% chance that the Fed will cut its  rates to 4.5% from 4.75%. Some of the gold and oil-related ETFs that are affected and their performance year-to-date include:

• The Market Vectors-Gold Miners ETF (GDX) - up 24.9%
• The Oil Service HOLDRs (OIH) - up 38.6%
• SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES) - up 36.2%
• United States Oil (USO)  - up 40.5%
• iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil Total Return Index ETN (OIL) - up 41.0%
• streetTracks Gold Shares Fund (GLD) - up 24.2%
• iShares Comex Gold Trust (IAU) - up 23.6%
• PowerShares DB Gold (DGL) - up 6.0% for the last three months, having launched in early 2007. It invests in gold futures not the bullion.

Tags: DGL, ETNs, Federal Reserve, GLD, IAU, Metals, Oil, USO

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