The Little Book of Commodity Investing
$10.95
The Little Book of Commodity Investing is an indispensible guide to learning the ins and outs of commodity investing. It’s about identifying opportunities to profit from the coming bull market in commodities. It explains the benefits of commodities as part of a well diversified investment portfolio; covers all of the major commodities markets; what makes commodities and the companies that produce them tick; why commodities sometimes zig and then zag; what to buy and when to buy it; and why commodities are the next big thing.
Author’s Introduction:
There are many things that I enjoy about being a portfolio manager, but I most enjoy the times when I get to leave my spreadsheets behind and head out of the office to see the oil fields, mines, shipping terminals, and natural gas plants that dot the landscape. The feeling is the same every time I venture beyond my computer screens: I always marvel at the size, scope, and technical complexity of these operations and at the critical, yet unheralded, role these assets provide in making the world work.
In spite of the crucial role commodity producers pla y in enabling the global economy, most of us know almost nothing about them; and what we do know is often jaundiced. In a world of glitzy new product launches and expensive marketing campaigns, the world of industry seems woefully out of date. Yet we have just lived through an era where Wall Street and its world-class marketers badly misled the investing public about the riches that lay ahead in cutting edge technology and high finance.
Commodities can soar when stocks and bonds are going nowhere and inflation is running amok. In a world of too much complexity and too few solutions, investors are looking for something simple, something tangible, where the accounting isn’t flawed and the path forward is clear. As real things that you can hold and touch, things that you use everyday, commodities seem to be the solid store of value in these troubled times. Best yet, armed with a knowledge of commodities you will be better able to understand markets, whole economies, and the world in which we live. More than an interesting niche area of investing, commodities provide us with an important window on the world of investing and understanding them transforms us into better investors; not just better commodity investors, but better stock, bond, real estate, currency, and emerging market investors.
Most investment books are long on theory but short on practical no-nonsense information and knowledge from which you can profit. This book is different. This book is about companies, about whole industries, and about a value chain that spans the globe and interconnects the markets of tomorrow with the markets of today. This book explains the world around us—how it works, what makes markets rise and fall, and how you as investors can come out ahead of the pack.
The tried and true investment path led many investors to ruin in the 2008–2009 market collapse. What worked before is unlikely to work again. The world has changed and so too has investing. Commodities zig when stocks and bonds zag, and this often-overlooked but crucial part of the investing landscape is finally about to get its due. This book is your blueprint for navigating the world of commodities—the world of tomorrow. It examines whole industries, how they fit together in the bigger puzzle, and what makes them tick. It explores the worlds of agriculture, mining, and energy, as well as the characters and countries behind the production and consumption of these critical raw materials. You’ll learn the various ways investors can get commodity exposure and why these bets are likely to be savvy rather than foolhardy.
Commodities are already part of your daily routine— from the coffee that powers you through your morning to the gas that f uels your car. And from the farmer’s field to the food on your table, the world of commodities is global and interlinked. Developments halfway round the world can have a big impact on the action in the trading pits of Chicago and on your portfolio. In short, commodities are a vital linchpin connecting markets and providing powerful signals about the direction of the world economy and the stock market.
And yet, they just don’t figure as part of most investment portfolios. This book will change that. It will dispel the myths about commodities and make two bold claims— that commodities belong in every portfolio and that you ignore commodities at your own investment peril. The goal of this book is simple—to sweep away the mystery surrounding commodities and expose them for what they are—the single best asset class for the next decade.
Contents:
- Calling on Commodities: Why Commodity Investing Is a Savvy Bet
- Gettin’ Goin’: Companies or Commodities?
- Gusher: Investing in Oil
- Drilling for Dollars: Profiting from Natural Gas
- Going for Gold: Prospering with Gold and Precious Metals
- Digging It: Making Metals and Mines Work for You
- Betting the Farm: Bingeing on Food Inflation
- Ordering the Breakfast Special: Finding Profits in Foodstuffs
- Gaining in Grains: Investing in Grains
- Bulk Up: Benefitting from Bulk Commodities
- Capitalizing on Commodities: Why Commodities Are Happening
The Little Book of Commodity Investing By John Stephenson pdf
| Author(s) | |
|---|---|
| Format | |
| Pages | 233 |
| Publication Year | 2010 |
20 reviews for The Little Book of Commodity Investing
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Ezekiel Ortiz (verified owner) –
Gives a general overview of each main commodity and the market dynamics at a a very high level. Whilst this was mildly interesting overview, the book failed to give a explanation on any key techniques or analysis process that could be helpful for a would-be investor. It didn’t live up to the quality of the other books in the ‘Little book of ______ Investing’ series.
Hugo Skinner (verified owner) –
A quick and easy book to read. Opens your eyes to certain ideas and how the economy works. A good starter book for anyone wanting to know about commodities and how to invest in them.
Gabriel Hail (verified owner) –
Little book on commodity Is a must have series
Zander Morales (verified owner) –
A lot of propaganda (how commodities are great) and not so much usefull information (correlation with other asset classes, how it behaved over other cycles)
Riley Vargas (verified owner) –
I like everything about this book!
Matilda Nguyen (verified owner) –
A great read, packing more bang for your buck than any investment book I have ever read. John Stephenson provides compelling evidence why commodities are the go-to investment class of the next decade. This is a book that simply must be owned by every serious investor.
Belen Cook (verified owner) –
I loved this book and once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. This book packs more investment punch than any ten books I have ever read on the subject. I love the writer’s style and came away with a better understanding of commodities, why they matter to all investors and how to profit from them. A great read that I would recommend to anyone.
Alden Berger (verified owner) –
Good read. My class made me get this. Can’t complain much.
Odin Fowler (verified owner) –
A very low quality book. As others have pointed out, there is almost no discussion of how to actually trade commodities. Instead, we get the author’s poorly argued narratives about various commodity markets, most of which have proven to be totally wrong. It’s not unusual for financial professionals to sell false narratives about the future, since the future is so unpredictable. But in this case, that’s all the author has to offer, so we have to rate this book as pretty poor.
Franco Weaver (verified owner) –
This little book will help anybody to understand that Wall Street is over. Now is the time of commodities. Excellent view point from the author that the real futures is commodities and not a stock/s, buying it low and selling high. Viva “day-trading”, the microwave philosophy, make money in less than 3 minutes !!
Zola Swanson (verified owner) –
These books help me keep grounded on rough days and keeps me focus on the next step of the cycle.
Emory McMahon (verified owner) –
I was hoping this book would be similar to the little book that beats wall street, but I really did not feel this book helped me become a better commodity investor with some basic formula’s like the stock book did.
Writing is good, just missed the mark for me.
Lainey Bradshaw (verified owner) –
If I could, I would have given zero stars for this book.
This is my first book on Commodities, but I could hardly find anything new that I have not heard on TV or see in news papers. It’s all just very high level fluff throughout the book. From page one its pure marketing on “Invest in commodities”. Why? China is consuming, India is consuming, stocks recently crashed, average traders are making 2 to 3 million a year in Chicago. At least half the book (give or take few percentage) is wasted on this marketing. Yeah… there are few details like how oil industry is trying to improve recovery, how shale gas resulted in oversupply, Amarnath went belly up in commodity trades… and invest in Commodities any way as you are going to make a fortune.
One of the most useless books I bout this holiday season. I could not comprehend how all seven folks were able to rate it 5 stars.
Lia Frye (verified owner) –
Excellent Book! Well worth reading if you want to capitalize on commodities today. Gives answers to why commodities are crucial to navigating through stormy economic times.
Elianna O’brien (verified owner) –
Enjoyed the book, but lacking more depth and detail on market instruments and trading examples. Given the basic nature this would have been a great addition or supplemental appendix for the readers and wouldn’t have to be CFA level supplement.
Laylah Rangel (verified owner) –
I listened to interview by Author on financialsense.com
I liked the interview. I like the book so far. Half way through it.
Commodities are very important way to invest with the debasement of all the currencies from QE.
Big fan of Jim Rogers. Read his book years ago. RJI is an etf that tracks Jim Rogers index.
I like many of the books in this series. The Peter Schiff book I would recomend as well.
Mara Luna (verified owner) –
I don’t want to spend a lot of time on a review of a book this useless — reading it was enough of a waste of time. There are no strategies on how to trade or analysis of what to buy. The bottom line is that developing markets are consuming more so commodity prices will go up. I already know this, and everyone that watches the news knows it. He also talks a lot about western counties having maxed out their credit cars — something else I am well aware of. The author list some commodities, mentions some of the main commodity producers, gives a junior high school style report of where the commodities come from, mentions some ETF… That’s it.
What I was looking for in this book was some sort of strategy on what and how to buy — isn’t that finance books are for? The author put very little effort into writing this (you can find most of this on Wikipedia, honest), offers absolutely no insight, and therefore this book has no value whatsoever. Do not buy it — watch TV instead…
Lennon Burton (verified owner) –
The little book of Commodities Investing is an introduction to commodities investing and the futures market. Since I am investor with Forex, stock and options, the book’s information was basic, but very interesting. I was looking for a short book read on commodities since I trade commodities ETFs regularly. I enjoyed the writing style and the flow of this book and recommend it for new investors wanting to get into commodities.
Erick Park (verified owner) –
This was one great read, and an easy one at that. You would think that a book about commodities would be about as dull as dishwater, but in The Little Book of Commodity Investing, author John Stephenson brings this world to life and explains why commodities figure in every portfolio. Best yet, I feel like a more informed investor. I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone who wants a better financial future.
Saint Klein (verified owner) –
Just as John’s first book, Shell Shocked, laid out a compelling case for “buying all the Canada you can get,” this book lays out the case for commodities. “Commodities” and “commodity trading” are intimidating terms to many investors, as are “futures” and “futures contracts.” That’s largely because American consumers are raised on the DOW and a few of the ancillary indices. A perfect example of that myopia is how people are presently yelling about the “lost decade” that investors have had from 2000-2010, conveniently leaving out the benefits of dividend reinvestment and the possiblity that individual investors and equity fund managers could have overweighted on Apple Inc. stock during the decade. Regardless, many individual investors buy the hype, panic, and make emotional decisions like putting lots of money into a savings account earning .05%.
It is in this sort of a climate that John helpfully points out that commodities are:
* not intimidating
* easy to understand
* a smart investment for our times
Why are commodities not intimidating? Because they’re all around us. They’re the things we use every day, like the gasoline that goes into our cars or the wheat and flour that we find in our bread. Sure, the price of gold gets all the headlines–it’s sort of like the DOW of commodities–but there are so many more places that investors can put their money to work in commodities.
Commodities are easy to understand because they’re being used or consumed all the time. Check out the shipments coming into a restaurant or a supermarket on any given day and you’ll see commodities coming in that have been purchased and are about to be put to use by the restaurant or supermarket.
Why are commodities a smart investment for our times? Because people need them now and will need them more as economies grow. As John mentioned during his CNBC appearance over the summer, only 30% of China’s population participates in the nation’s economy. It’s going to take more roads, bridges, buildings, fuel, food and other commodity-based material to bring that remaining 70% into the fold. That increasing demand, of course, means rising prices for relavant commodities.
John’s book touches on myriad ways that commodities can, should, and will be used in the future. The Little Book of Commodity Investing is an easy read that teaches the reader why natural gas prices are more volatile than oil prices, that Brazil is actually the orange juice capitol of the world and many other fun facts. For that reason alone, it’s a wonderful read. But John also gives the reader a plenty of ammunition regarding WHY he or she should invest in a given commodity. I’m not saying this book alone will make Joe Investor cash out his brokerage account and buy a nickel mine in Sudbury, Ontario, and that’s a good thing. But it will make Joe Investor a lot more comfortable thinking about commodity investing and want to learn more.