Copper prices rose more than 30% in 2010. If you’re hoping for a continuation if that rally in copper exchange traded funds (ETFs), you may be in luck.
Commodities have been leading the charge, largely on weakness in the dollar, but outshining the majority of them is copper. Dian L. Chu for Business Insider reports that base metals are further supported as China keeps on trucking with double-digit growth, which is fueling its appetite for such metals. [Why Precious Metals ETFs Are the Best Way to Go.]
Copper rallied 33% in 2010, but higher prices haven’t translated into lower demand.
Kevin Grewal for Daily Markets reports that according to the International Copper Study Group, a copper deficit of 435,000 metric tons in 2011 is expected, marking the first deficit in three years. In that time, global production has averaged 18 million tons. [Physical Copper ETFs May Soon Be a Reality.]
Demand for copper in China, India, Brazil and the Middle East is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 7 % per capita through the next four years, and supply shortages are only going to help the rise of this metal.
There are more ways than ever to get exposure to the copper trend, including:
- iPath Dow Jones-UBS Copper ETN (NYSEArca: JJC): JJC is an exchange traded note (ETN) that seeks to reflect the performance of a basket of copper futures contracts.
- Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSEArca: COPX) and First Trust ISE Global Copper Index Fund (NASDAQ: CU) both give exposure to a basket of global copper miners.
- PowerShares DB Base Metals (NYSEArca: DBB): DBB tracks a basket of futures on copper, aluminum and zinc.
- iShares MSCI Chile Index (NYSEArca: ECH): Chile is one of the world’s most prolific copper producers, and this fund gives a hefty chunk of exposure to miners and others tangentially involved in copper production.
Tisha Guerrero contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.