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Merger Mania Hits the Mining Sector

Merger Mania Hits the Mining Sector

Rising demand for raw materials…

Metals / Commodities

Water, Not Oil Could Soon Become the World’s Greatest catalyst for Conflict

Jan 24, 2011 at 12:18 | Eurasianet

Writing about the 1967 Six Day War in his 2001 memoirs, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that "While the border disputes between Syria and ourselves were of great significance,…

Can We Blame Bernanke for the Rise in Food and Commodity Prices?

Jan 20, 2011 at 06:41 | Bruce Krasting

It wouldn’t be fair to say that Bernanke is responsible for all the run-up in global food prices. There are many factors at play. That’s not to say the US…

Russia in Joint Venture With Mongolia to Develop Uranium Resource

Jan 07, 2011 at 08:54 | RFE/RL staff

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a law on forming a joint venture with Mongolia to develop a large uranium deposit. Medvedev's signature clears the way for creation of the…

2011 Commodities Trading Forecast

Jan 06, 2011 at 10:39 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

This is my favorite asset class for the next decade, as investors increasingly catch on to the secular move out of paper assets into hard ones. Don’t buy anything that…

A Perfect Storm is Settling Up for the Grains

Jan 05, 2011 at 09:21 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

I bet I’m the only guy you know whose wedding was filmed by the KGB. In the seventies, my friend, the TASS correspondent, Yuri, shot the entire assembled foreign press…

Food Prices 18.5% Higher than a Year Ago

Jan 01, 2011 at 17:55 | Gail Tverberg

I am busy working on some bigger projects that I can’t write about yet, but I thought I would put up a little scanned in section from today’s WSJ relating…

Why Commodity Prices are Surging

Dec 29, 2010 at 18:42 | David Beckworth

Paul Krugman explains the main reason for the rising commodity prices: Today, as in 2007-2008, the primary driving force behind rising commodity prices isn’t demand from the United States. It’s…

Is Food the New Distressed Asset?

Dec 06, 2010 at 08:57 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

After my entertaining repast with the head of our nation’s intelligence service, (See: Lunch with the CIA) I had to ask myself this question. During the sixties, new dwarf varieties,…

Rare Earth Metals Shortage Made Worse by Smuggling

Dec 02, 2010 at 10:26 | Professor Chris Rhodes

Rare earth (RE) metals find application in devices inlcuding wind turbines, hybrid and electric cars, LCDs, fuel cells, nuclear reactors and lasers. China controls some 97% of the world supply…

Pssst! Have You Heard About Rhodium

Nov 30, 2010 at 08:31 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

When I was at the New York Hard Asset Investment Conference weeks ago, every hour someone would stop by my table, mention the word “rhodium”, and walk away. My interest…

Forget a Potential Oil Shortage: A shortage of this Mineral Would be Much Worse

Nov 25, 2010 at 11:19 | Brian Westenhaus

Most folks think an oil embargo or a running out of supply would be a disaster, some even realize oil could drive nations to war. But there is a much…

Survey Shows U.S. Has Abundant Rare Earth Supplies

Nov 24, 2010 at 10:27 | David Gabel

In the headlines lately has been news of China's monopoly of rare earth elements (REE), adding to China's growing clout. It would increase their leverage should they choose to reduce…

The Genius Behind Successful Resource Companies

Nov 23, 2010 at 13:21 | Dave Forest

I've been reviewing several new project opportunities this week, in both minerals and petroleum. It's got me thinking about genius. Good resource companies have some kind of genius. Something the…

Platinum: Good Prices Are Not Enough

Nov 17, 2010 at 11:09 | Dave Forest

Platinum gurus Johnson Matthey published their 2010 Interim Review of the platinum market yesterday. A big event in that part of the mining space. The report was fairly rosy for…

Year End Risk Analysis: Commodities

Nov 11, 2010 at 10:51 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

This is my favorite asset class for the next decade, as investors increasingly catch on to the secular move out of paper assets into hard ones. Don’t buy anything that…

What Do China's Aluminum Sales Mean?

Nov 10, 2010 at 12:29 | Dave Forest

China has started (slowly) selling its considerable stockpiles of base metals. The National Development and Reform Commission announced this week it sold just under 96,000 tons of aluminum through public…

Rare Earths ETF Launched by Money Manager Van Eck

Nov 03, 2010 at 12:06 | Mark Nicholls

Money manager Van Eck Global has launched an exchange-traded fund (ETF) offering investors exposure to a possible bull-run in the value of ‘rare earth’ metals. Such metals are crucial raw…

Growing Worldwide Concern Over China's Dwindling Rare Earth Supplies

Oct 26, 2010 at 14:31 | RFE/RL staff

Hybrid cars, mobile phones, flat-screen televisions, fiber-optic cables, the latest-generation wind turbines. What do these products all have in common? For many countries, they represent the money-making future of manufacturing…

The Monetization of Lumber

Oct 26, 2010 at 14:29 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

If you want to see how widespread the commodities boom has become, take a look at the lumber market, which has popped 47% since June. This is in the face…

Watch Rice For Clues to Corn

Oct 25, 2010 at 08:07 | Mad Hedge Fund Trader

Those wondering what to do about their ag positions better take a look at the contract for rough rice, which has skyrocketed by 50% since July to $14.50 a pound.…

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