$138 billion — that’s the enormous sum earned by the five largest oil companies back in 2008 when crude oil prices surged to all-time highs near $150 per barrel. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) alone earned more than $45 billion, a figure which now stands as the record for… Read More

By now most investors are aware of the immense impact China has had on global commodity markets. In many cases, prices have exploded upwards as the country’s billion-plus people modernize its economy. But… Read More

It was not that long ago when it seemed as if some sort of comprehensive legislation to tackle the issue of climate change almost seemed inevitable. But since then, political wrangling and the emergence of more pressing economic concerns have sent the issue to the backburner. Opponents… Read More

One of the most interesting indicators used in the financial markets is the Baltic Dry Index (BDI). The index, created and maintained by the London-based Baltic Exchange, measures the price of shipping raw materials such as iron ore, coal and grains around… Read More

The late-1970s was witness to one of the most remarkable gold rallies in history. From a low of $100 per troy ounce in 1976, prices rose to a then-record $873 by 1980. The culprit? Double-digit rates of inflation. Read More

The numbers are out and it’s official: this year’s summer was the fourth-warmest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Moreover, on a population-weighted basis, it was perhaps the warmest summer on record in the United States. Yet here we are with natural gas… Read More

Any casual observer of the energy markets is probably aware that during the past two years, a bit of dichotomy has developed between natural gas and crude oil. On the one hand you have a global commodity — a transportation fuel… Read More