Generate steady returns in one of the world's hottest markets

"How to Make Money with Commodities" offers proven strategies and tactics to help individual investors capitalize from the commodities market as global demographic shifts drive prices up.

""How to Make Money with Commodities sets out in crystal-clear language how the commodity markets affect you every day, and in every way, and why your understanding of the market is essential to your portfolio. An incredibly valuable resource for investors of all levels "" -- Ed Weis, Dean, School of Business at Mercy College; former Managing Director, Merrill Lynch

""This book gives fascinating insight into the high-octane world of commodities trading. It unravels the mysteries of the market, layer by layer."" -- Ian McConnell, Business Editor, The Herald (UK) and award-winning journalist

""Andrew Hecht has taken the world of commodities and presented a compelling picture of the various markets from past to present to future. The comprehensive nature of the book makes it a must-read for anyone who is or hopes to be a trader or analyst. . . . Andy's writing is engaging, and he has written a book for everyone, as we are all commodities consumers and intimately affected by these markets."" -- Josef Schroeter, President, CQG Inc.

Given demographic trends around the globe and the increasing demand for staple goods, the commodities market has transformed into one of the hottest new mainstream investment sectors. If your portfolio neglects commodities, now is the time to change it.

"How to Make Money with Commodities" gives you a fully rounded understanding of the market so you can make the very best investment decisions based on your individual strategies and goals.

One of the most sought-after commodities and commodity options traders and analysts in the world, Andrew T. Hecht explains how commodities relate to stocks, bonds, and foreign exchange, and how they affect the average person's world every day. Bolstered by case studies, historical trends and examples, and Hecht's personal experience, How to Make Money with Commodities explores the fundamentals and technicalities that determine commodity prices and shows how you can use that knowledge to your advantage.

Learn everything there is to know about all the major commodities markets, including:

ENERGY--oil and oil products, natural gas, electricity, coal, alternative energy

PRECIOUS METALS--gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and others

BASE METALS--copper, aluminum, nickel, lead, zinc, tin

AGRICULTURE--corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, cattle, hogs

SOFT COMMODITIES--coffee, sugar, cocoa, orange juice, cotton

OTHER COMMODITIES--steel, fertilizers, rare earth metals, lumber, emission allowances, and more

Hecht explains the ins and outs of every market and provides an expert's insight into government regulations, speculators, traders, and the role China will play in shaping the market's future--and he explains how to invest directly in commodity-related instruments such as physical commodities, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts.

"How to Make Money with Commodities" is the perfect one-stop resource for building a solid financial future on a market that promises to remain active and vibrant for the foreseeable future. Get started with commodities today and watch your profitability soar.

Fluctuations of commodity prices, most notably of oil, capture considerable attention and have been tied to important economic effects, such as inflation and low rates of economic growth. "Commodity Prices and Markets" advances our understanding of the consequences of these fluctuations, providing both general analysis and a particular focus on the countries of the Pacific Rim. The volume addresses three distinct subjects: the difficulties in forecasting commodity prices, the effects of exogenous commodity price shocks on the domestic economy, and the relationship between price shocks and monetary policy. Accurately forecasting commodity prices is difficult but of great importance to businesses and governments, and this volume will be invaluable to professionals and policymakers interested in the field.

Financial hedging refers to taking out investments in order to reduce or cancel the risk in another investment. Its purpose is to minimise unwanted business risk while still allowing the business to profit from investment activity. The problem of credit risk is one of the most important problems in finance. It consists of computing the probability of a firm defaulting on a debt. The time evolution of rating for credit risk models can be studied by means of Markov transition models. This book looks at the homogeneous and non-homogeneous semi-Markov backward credit risk migration models. A joint optimisation model for a firm's hedging and leverage decisions is also examined to help establish an integrated framework for value creation. Rather than artificially separating the two interrelated parts of the firm's financial policy, both corporate decision variables are treated as endogenous. Furthermore, the cross-sectional variation in indirect bankruptcy costs is discussed, possibly resulting from a deterioration of relationships with customers, suppliers or other stakeholders prior to the legal act of bankruptcy. The effect of probability weighting on hedging decisions is explored in this book. Observed hedge ratios in a storage context are close to zero in many situations and often smaller than the standard minimum-variance hedge zero. Thus, the importance of probability weighting in decision making and how it can cause dramatic changes in behavior is looked at. This book also re-examines hedging performance of the minimum variance hedge ratios (MVHR) estimated using both the OLS and the GARCH-type models with S&P 500 index futures contracts. In particular, the out-of-sample comparison of hedging performance of the MVHRs under different market volatility regimes are looked at. In addition, the analysis for parametric and non-parametric Markov processes are discussed and the construction of the transition matrix in these two different cases. Several possible strategies where the investors recalibrate their portfolios at a fixed temporal horizon are proposed. The authors also show how the Markov assumption can be used to forecast the portfolio returns and some simple empirical comparisons between Markovian strategies and classic reward-risk ones. Finally, articles in this book contribute to the literature on futures hedging in commodity futures markets by using wavelet transform analysis to define an explicit and tractable concept of time horizon. Differences in hedge ratios are discussed both across commodities and, for each commodity, over all time horizons of decision-making.

Amidst a sharp rise in commodity investing, many have asked whether commodities nowadays move in sync with traditional financial assets. The authors provide evidence that challenges this idea. Using dynamic correlation and recursive co-integration techniques, they found that the relation between the returns on investable commodity and U.S. equity indices has not changed significantly in the last fifteen years. The authors also find no evidence of any secular increase in co-movement between the returns on commodity and equity investments during periods of extreme returns.

This book focuses on four energy commodities -- crude oil, unleaded gasoline, natural gas, and heating oil -- and Commodity Futures Trading Commission's oversight of these commodities. Specifically, this report examines (1) trends and patterns of trading activity in the physical and energy derivatives markets and the effects of those trends on prices; (2) the scope of CFTC's authority for protecting market users from fraudulent, manipulative, and abusive practices in the trading of energy futures contracts; and (3) the effectiveness of CFTC's monitoring and detection of market abuses in energy futures markets and in connection with energy-related enforcement actions. This is an excerpted, edited and indexed version of a GAO report.

Little is known about the personal lives of each of these authors, but in surveying their other books and writings, a more informed picture emerges of their capabilities in their chosen field, stock and futures market analysis. From the quality and clearness of the writings in this and other of his works, it soon becomes apparent that Victor DeVilliers was not only very knowledgeable on the markets but he had the uncommon talent to put it into written words. (Most market authors are generally better traders and investors than writers.) On the other hand Owen Taylor was certainly extremely capable, being more the expert on the technical aspects of market analysis, something easily ascertainable from the Technical Analysis subjects that he presented in his own books and booklets. It is to the credit of both authors that they recognized just how valuable to investors and traders the Point and Figure method could be and that they saw fit to produce this fascinating work on a subject that in its essence is just putting small "Xs" on graph paper.But how to put them to graph paper and how to read their meanings is what can separate the trading and investing boys from the trading and investing men. Surveying all of the writings that have been published over the years, we find there have been and are a number of good, very good and excellent books on the Point and Figure methodology and its star attributes. However, every once in a while someone comes along and writes what is easily the seminal work, the finest on its particular subject. Some 65 years later we can attest to the fact that Victor DeVilliers and Owen Taylor rule the roost on their chosen subject with the two volumes republished here, which taken together, have to be considered the ultimate - "The Bible of Point and Figure Charting."

Kate Kelly, acclaimed journalist and author of Street Fighters, investigates the world of commodities traders When most of us think of the drama of global finance, we think of stocks and bonds. But commodities? Crude oil and soya beans? Copper and wheat? What could be more boring? That's exactly what the elite commodity traders want us to think. They don't seek the spotlight. They don't want to be as famous as Warren Buffett. Their astonishing wealth was created in obscurity, because they dwell in private companies or deep within large banks and corporations. But if the individuals in the commodities boom have gone unnoticed, their impact has not. Prices of raw materials have exploded. Are the big traders jacking up the cost of petrol, food, and essentials bought by people around the world? How did such immense power end up in the hands of a few? In this riveting book, Kate Kelly takes us inside the inner circle that affects so many things we all depend on. Following a trail from New York to London to Dubai, from hedgefunds and banks to brokers and regulators, she reveals the fullest ever picture of the men who gamble with our future every day.

Confused about commodities? Consult this essential resource . .

Oil, rice, corn, the Euro--commodities these days are hot, and they're getting hotter. This engaging and thorough guide covers all the basics you'll need to profit from today's most active investment classes. . .

"Commodities Demystified" takes you straight to the heart of the subject, beginning with a discussion on the basic elements of the commodities market. It then introduces you to the various available commodities and investment options, including exchange-traded instruments, futures, and options, and explains the correlation between inflation and commodity prices. Finally, each chapter ends with a quick-review quiz enabling you to test your knowledge. . .

Designed to provide a thorough education without overwhelming you with complexities and mystifying jargon, this self-teaching guide is exactly what you need to successfully identify and trade commodities in today's market. . .

This confusion-busting guide covers: . The fundamentals of the commodities market. Different commodity classes and subclasses. Finding a reputable commodities broker. How to make online trades. Strategies for minimizing risk and maximizing profits.

Eurodollar trading volume is exploding, with no end in sight tools phenomenal growth. The Eurodollar Futures and Options Handbook provides traders and investors with the complete range of current research on Eurodollar futures and options, now the most widely traded money market contracts in the world. The only current book on this widely-followed topic, it features chapters written by Eurodollar experts from JP Morgan, Mellon Capital, Merrill Lynch, and other global trading giants, and will quickly become a required reference for all Eurodollar F&O traders and investors.