Commodities like agricultural goods and precious metals offer investors an alternative to divest their holdings. Often times, commodities march to the beat of their own drum compared to the broad market.
Because of this negative correlation, large downturns in the broad market may not affect commodities. Investors can participate in the commodities market by trading the actual commodity or their futures contracts.
An easier way for investors to participate in commodities is through a commodity exchange-traded fund (ETF). Investing through an ETF will allow investors to reap benefits, such as tax efficiency.
But exactly how do commodity ETFs work?
How Assets Are Held
Commodities come in a variety of options. Each commodity has its own nuances with respect to how their markets react to certain conditions affecting their respective industry.
Examples of Commodities
- Precious Metals: gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and copper
- Livestock: pork bellies and cattle
- Agricultural: corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cocoa, coffee, cotton, and sugar
- Energy: oil, natural gas and gasoline
As mentioned, commodity ETFs can hold the actual assets and place them in a physical storage area. Other ETFs prefer to trade the contracts tied to the commodities, track a commodity index or a combination thereof.
How an Investor Owns the Commodities
An investor in a commodity ETF does not typically own the actual commodity itself. Instead, an investor can own the contracts backed by the commodity.