What are commodity funds? | BlackRock (2024)

For each fund with a 3-year history, a Morningstar Rating® is calculated based on risk-adjusted returns that account for variations in a fund’s monthly performance (excluding sales charges, loads and redemption fees), placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of funds receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. (Each share class is counted as a fraction of one fund within this scale and rated separately, which may cause slight variations in the distribution percentages.) The fund was rated against the following numbers of U.S.-domiciled Commodities Broad Basket funds over the following time periods: 110 in the last 3 years and 87 in the last 5 years. With respect to these Commodities Broad Basket funds, the fund received a Morningstar Rating of 5 and 5 stars for the 3-and 5-year periods, respectively. Other classes may have different performance characteristics.

Key Risks: The fund is actively managed and its characteristics will vary. Stock and bond values fluctuate in price so the value of your investment can go down depending on market conditions. International investing involves special risks including, but not limited to currency fluctuations, illiquidity and volatility. These risks may be heightened for investments in emerging markets. Futures trading can lead to large losses. Trading losses can sharply reduce the value of an interest in the fund. The fund may trade foreign futures contracts. Transactions on markets outside the United States may be subject to regulations that offer different or diminished protection. Commodity futures exposure is achieved through investments in, but not limited to, commodity-linked notes, swap agreements, commodity options, futures and options on futures. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative and are more likely to experience hyperinflation and currency devaluations, which adversely affect returns. In addition, many emerging securities markets have lower trading volumes and less liquidity. Investing in long/short strategies presents the opportunity for significant losses, including the loss of your total investment. Such strategies have the potential for heightened volatility and in general, are not suitable for all investors. The fund may use derivatives to hedge its investments or to seek to enhance returns. Derivatives entail risks relating to liquidity, leverage and credit that may reduce returns and increase volatility. Investments in natural resources industries can be affected by variations in commodities markets, weather, disease, embargoes, political and economic developments, taxes and other government regulations. Investing in commodity- linked derivatives and commodity-related companies may increase volatility. Price movements are outside of the funds control and may be influenced by weather and climate conditions, livestock disease, war, terrorism, political conflicts and economic events, interest rates, currency and exchange rates, government regulation and taxation.

What are commodity funds? | BlackRock (2024)

FAQs

What are commodity funds? | BlackRock? ›

Commodity funds invest in raw materials or primary agricultural products, known as commodities. These funds invest in precious metals, such as gold and silver, energy resources, such as oil and natural gas, and agricultural goods, such as wheat.

What is an example of commodity funds? ›

For example, a gold fund that holds gold bullion would be a true commodity fund. Commodity Funds That Hold Futures Holding commodity-linked derivative instruments is a much more common mutual fund strategy for investing in the commodities markets.

Are commodity funds a good investment? ›

Investing in commodities can provide investors with diversification, a hedge against inflation, and excess positive returns. Investors may experience volatility when their investments track a single commodity or one sector of the economy. Supply, demand, and geopolitics all affect commodity prices.

How does a commodity fund work? ›

Commodity mutual funds invest in commodities belonging to domestic or overseas markets. As such, any valuation gains or losses to the fund are directly driven by the changes in the market prices of the respective commodities. The fund's NAV (Net Asset Value) is declared daily by the fund house.

What are the risks of commodity funds? ›

Uncontrollable factors such as inflation, weather, political unrest, foreign events, new technologies and even rumors can have devastating consequences to the price of a commodity. Investors investing in commodities must be able to bear a total loss of their investment. Speculative risks.

What are the top 3 commodities to invest in? ›

You can invest in commodities in a range of ways. Today, the top three in the list of commodities are crude oil, gold and base metals. It is worth taking a look at all three and finding out how to invest.

Which is the best commodity fund? ›

Best-performing commodity ETFs
TickerName5-year return
AAAUGoldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF11.47%
OUNZVanEck Merk Gold Trust11.36%
IAUFiShares Gold Strategy ETF10.21%
FTGCFirst Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund9.68%
3 more rows
Apr 2, 2024

What are 2 disadvantages of commodity money? ›

However, commodity money also has its disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the value of the commodity can be volatile, which can lead to fluctuations in the value of the currency. Another disadvantage is that it can be difficult to transport and store, especially in large quantities.

What is the safest commodity to invest in? ›

Popular commodities for investment

Of these, oil has the biggest market, but gold is the most popular commodity for holding long term because of its role as a risk hedge, according to Minter.

Are commodities riskier than stocks? ›

Because the supply and demand characteristics change frequently, volatility in commodities tends to be higher than for stocks, bonds, and other types of assets. Some commodities show more stability than others, such as gold, which also serves as a reserve asset for central banks to buffer against volatility.

How do I buy a commodity fund? ›

How to invest in commodities
  1. Physical ownership. This is the most basic way to invest in commodities. ...
  2. Futures contracts. ...
  3. Individual securities. ...
  4. Mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs). ...
  5. Alternative investments.

Does Vanguard have a commodities fund? ›

It invests in instruments that create long and short exposure to commodities, including commodity-linked total return swaps, commodity futures contracts and options on commodity futures contracts, commodity-linked structured notes, exchange-traded commodity pools or funds, and other commodity-linked derivative ...

Does Fidelity have a commodities fund? ›

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

May lose value. No credit union guarantee. Fidelity® Global Commodity Stock Fund seeks capital appreciation by investing in the commodities asset class, which historically has had lower correlations to traditional equity markets.

Why is investing in commodities so risky? ›

The value of the shares in the commodity pool may not track the value of the underlying asset over time. This difference is because unlike with stocks, a futures contract cannot be held indefinitely in hopes that a fallen price will recover.

What is a disadvantage of investing in the commodities market? ›

High volatility.

Although the price of raw materials depends on supply and demand, both supply and demand are affected by external factors such as natural phenomena or political circ*mstances that abruptly alter the prices of raw materials.

Which investment is best for someone who is likely to need cash soon? ›

Best investments for short-term money
When you need the moneyInvestment Options
A year or lessHigh-yield savings and money market accounts, cash management accounts
Two to three yearsTreasurys and bond funds, CDs
Three to five years (or more)CDs, bonds and bond funds, and even stocks for longer periods

What is the most common form of commodity money? ›

Commodity Money: The first forms of money were commodity money. That means the money itself had value. Wheat, cowrie shells, livestock or gold have all been forms of commodity money. Historically, precious metals have been the most common form of commodity money.

What is a commodity and give 5 examples? ›

Some traditional examples of commodities include grains, gold, beef, oil, and natural gas. More recently, the definition has expanded to include financial products, such as foreign currencies and indexes. You might consider allocating up to 10% of your portfolio to a mix of commodities.

Are dollar bills an example of commodity money? ›

U.S. currency is fiat money. It is not a commodity with its own great value and it does not represent gold-or any other valuable commodity-held in a vault somewhere. It is valued because it is legal tender and people have faith in its use as money.

What are examples of commodities? ›

What are Commodities? Commodities are raw materials used to create the products consumers buy, from food to furniture to gasoline or petrol. Commodities include agricultural products such as wheat and cattle, energy products such as oil and natural gas, and metals such as gold, silver and aluminum.

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