20 articles in this subtopic.
How natural gas pricing works across regional hubs, with seasonal patterns that create predictable price swings of $1-3/MMBtu between winter and summer.
Understand livestock markets (cattle, hogs) and soft commodities (coffee, sugar, cocoa, cotton) including production cycles, major producers, and price drivers.
Understand futures curve shapes, how contango and backwardation affect roll yield, and what drives each market condition.
Learn the cost of carry model for commodity futures pricing, including storage costs, convenience yield, and how these factors determine whether markets trade a…
How refiners measure profitability through crack spreads, the formulas behind common spread calculations, and what drives refining margin volatility.
How the two dominant crude oil benchmarks differ in quality, delivery, and pricing, and why the spread between them matters for energy investors.
Learn how major commodity indexes are built, including weighting methods, roll mechanics, and return components that drive index performance.
Why copper prices signal economic health, with China consuming 50% of global supply and prices correlating strongly with manufacturing PMIs and GDP growth.
Most investors treat carbon markets as an ESG curiosity, something for sustainability reports and corporate pledges. That instinct is expensive. The EU Emission…
How US electricity markets operate through regional grid operators, with prices ranging from $30/MWh in off-peak hours to $500+/MWh during peak demand events.
How chokepoints, sanctions, and supply disruptions affect global oil and gas prices.
Learn how commodity producers and consumers use futures, swaps, and options to manage price risk, including hedge ratios, tenor decisions, and governance framew…
Between 2009 and 2019, crude oil spot prices roughly doubled. Over that same period, USO—the largest oil ETF—lost money. Not underperformed. Lost money. The cul…
How the weekly EIA and API petroleum inventory reports influence oil prices, and what to watch when interpreting the data.
The differences between precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) and industrial metals (copper, aluminum, zinc), with distinct demand drivers, trading venues, a…
In 2012, a single drought across the US Corn Belt wiped out 16% of expected corn yield in a matter of weeks, sending prices from $5.50 to $8.30 per bushel—a 50%…
How OPEC+ production quotas interact with US shale economics, and why the balance between these two forces drives global oil prices.
Quick-reference definitions for essential commodity and energy market terminology.
The key regulators, position limits, and reporting requirements governing US commodity futures and physical energy markets.
How crude oil moves through the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, and where value is created at each stage of the energy supply chain.
