Commodities: Trends, Cycles & Investment Implications
Following four years of ever rising prices, after making an endless round of conference attendances, and having spent the past few months' morning commute being confronted by lurid headlines, all screaming about manipulated metals markets, oil 'super-spikes' and biofuel bonanzas, many investors have acquired a degree of familiarity with the commodity markets well beyond anything they could have ever imagined back in the dull days of the 1990s.
By Sean Corrigan, Diapason Commodities Management.

Don't Super-Cycle Me
The concept of a 'Commodities Super-Cycle' has been floating around the investor community for a couple of years now. It has been central to the massive rush of investor money into the commodities complex. We question this validity.
By Jeffrey M. Christian of CPM Group.

The Song Remains the Same
Investor appetite for commodities has continued to grow since we last produced this special Investing in Commodities Supplement (September 2005). Earlier this year, prices for many commodity staples accelerated at an unprecedented rate before the May cool-off. Since then, a number have again made headway as supply constraints and geopolitical issues have spooked markets (e.g. nickel, oil). In the world of commodities many things have changed, new opportunities have presented themselves, but much else remains the same - at least for now.
By Guy Isherwood, Editor.

Commodity Prices: Will They Continue to Rise in the Short-Term?
After almost six years of constantly rising commodity prices, questions are mounting as to how long this bull run will last. When will the supply/demand market mechanisms kick in to trigger a downward adjustment?
By Kona Haque, Economist Intelligence Unit.

Energy & Environmental Funds: Continuing to Offer Superior Opportunities?
Energy related environmental or 'green' investment opportunities are in the initial stages of market development and present a host of new global investment opportunities in areas such as emissions, carbon finance, clean technology and renewable energy.
By Peter C. Fusaro & Dr. Gary M. Vasey, Energy and Environmental Capital Management LLC.

Real Time, Transparent Information a Must
When men speak of the future, the Gods laugh - Chinese Proverb
Could a proverb be any more true? When it comes to the future direction of metal prices, forecasts range from a super-cycle bull market that will continue for years to come to a hedge fund driven peak where prices will fall dramatically. Is it Economics 101, with fundamental supply and demand driving the price, or is it financial speculation further enhancing the price rises that will lead to a bubble burst?
By Michael Schwartz, Triple Point Technology.

Operational Risks In Commodity Trading Companies
This article defines operational risk in commodity trading companies (CTCs) and then focuses on identifying some of the operational risks apparent in commodity trading due to internal and controllable events, identifying them with the three dimensions of risk management: People, Systems and Process. Finally, it touches upon the benefits of a process-oriented approach in mitigating the operational risks in commodities trading.
By Raghu Anantharam & Rajashekhar Mantripragada, Infosys Technologies.