Precious metals and the related exchange traded products are soaring this year, but the same cannot be said of their industrial metal counterparts. In what could be some good news for industrial or base metals and the corresponding exchange traded products, that trend could be poised to change.
As global economies gain momentum, industrial metals and commodity-related exchange traded funds are beginning to turn around.
Industrial metals like copper, nickel, iron and steel have all rebounded in recent months as traders bet on improving global economic conditions would bolster demand for the base metals after prices hit multi-year lows.
Related: Miner ETFs Surge on Improving Metals Prices, Economic Outlook
Popular avenues for playing industrial metals include the PowerShares DB Base Metals (NYSEArca: DBB) and the iPath Bloomberg Copper Subindex Total Return ETN (NYSEArca: JJC). DBB is comprised of futures contracts, offering investors exposure to base metals such as aluminum, zinc, and copper.
Supporting the recent gains in base metal prices, markets saw improving data from China, the world’s largest consumer of industrial metals. However, some are beginning to doubt the sustainability of the metal market, pointing to signs of potential weakness in Chinese growth ahead.