Exchange traded funds have helped retail investors easily access various commodities assets. However, investors should know the risks associated with commodities investments that use futures contracts, which could lead to underperformance and even losses if you are not careful.
Specifically, commodity ETFs and other funds that invest in futures contracts are susceptible to contango in the futures market. [Jim Rogers Benchmarks Guide Commodity ETFs]
Contango occurs when the price on a futures contract is higher than the expected future spot price, which creates the upward sloping curve on future commodity prices over time, writes Aaron Levitt for Investopedia.
Commodity prices are typically higher in the future because people would rather pay a premium to have the commodity on a later date instead of paying the costs for storage and the carry costs for buying the commodity right now.
While this phenomena is a normal occurrence in the futures market, contango can have a negative effect on ETFs. ETFs that hold futures contracts sell the contracts before they mature and purchase a later-dated contract.