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[RT] Re: Investing in commodities



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If you trade commodities, you have similar considerations to that of
investing in stock.  In commodities, each one has its unique quality as do
the various industry groups in the stock market.  The grains have planting
cycles, and weather factors as well as foreign production and forgein
weather influences.  The meats have feed costs and weather influences as
well as transportation costs.  The softs, metals, energy and other
commodities each have their own fundamentals. They all have supply/demand
factors.  If you are afraid of the premium deal in currencies, they often
trade at a discount the further out you go,  but understand why the discount
or premium on the future.

All the fundamentals are reflected on the charts of the various
commodities.  Trade what you see and what the picture tells you and you will
be alright no matter what you trade.  If not learn how to read the picture.
Good luck and a good week end.  Ira.

Earl Adamy wrote:

> I share the same view regarding investment in commodities versus
> trading, however I'm finding that commodities are a much more
> challenging investment than are stocks and bonds. I started the year
> with a clear idea of how I would invest in commodities, however the rub
> comes in the details ... specifically the limited life of each contract
> and the contract premium which, like an option, decays over time. Buy
> the near contract and you have little premium and many rolls. Buy the
> far contract and you have fewer rolls and more premium. Currently, for
> example, the Dec00 W contract carries a 38 cent premium over the about
> the expire May contract and this represents a significant chunk of
> potential profit ... $2000 per contract.
>
> As a result, I've come to the view that one will do better trading
> within the longer term trend than attempting a buy and hold requiring
> the expenditure of large premiums or frequent rollovers. A buy and hold
> approach led me to give back some large profits in corn earlier this
> year, when it would have been far better to sell March corn and wait for
> the retracement to buy May corn. This is why, for example, I elected to
> sell my May sugar last Thursday & Friday near projected highs rather
> than roll into the July contract ... I expect that I will be able to
> purchase the July contract at lower prices when it retraces. If not,
> I'll find some other place to enter or trade something else. One other
> trading tool which seems to provide income to offset futures premium
> costs is to sell near term OOM calls at projected highs in the
> expectation that the calls will expire worthless during a retracement.
> This of course requires trading agility ... In the case of the
> aforementioned corn, I missed getting filled on my short call orders by
> 1 tick before the market retraced which of course meant I didn't collect
> the planned premium.
>
> Would certainly like to hear other practical approaches to the challenge
> of holding longer term commodity positions.
>
> Earl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Clyde Lee" <clydelee@xxxxxxx>
> To: <realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 7:58 AM
> Subject: [RT] Re: cotton
>
> > I have been working on LONGER term systems and indicators
> > which seem to indicate that "investments" in commodities may
> > in fact yield better profits than "trading" of commodities.
> >
> > The attached is a picture of some initial work on the system and
> > indicator for cotton.
> >
> > Although the system is LONG at the present time I would
> > suggest you compare the behavior in the two yellow circles
> > before you jump in feet first -- might be better to wait for
> > a breakout and a true reversal of this very, very, longterm
> > downtrend.
> >
> > Clyde
> >
> >
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > Clyde Lee   Chairman/CEO       (Home of SwingMachine)
> > SYTECH Corporation             email:   <clydelee@xxxxxxx>
> > 7910 Westglen, Suite 105       Work:    (713) 783-9540
> > Houston,  TX  77063            Fax:     (713) 783-1092
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> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Bob Hunt" <RHunt.066@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 08:03
> > Subject: [RT] Re: cotton
> >
> >
> > > I also have a number of Pattern Signals fired which suggest higher
> > > prices for cotton (attached .gif)
> > >
> > > The Wide Range Upside Reversal signal is activated when three
> > conditions
> > > have been satisfied: 1) the low of the day is the lowest low of the
> > last
> > > five, 2) the trading range of the day is the widest range of the
> last
> > > five, and 3) the close is within the top 25% of the day's range.
> This
> > > signal typically marks significant intermediate term turning points.
> > >
> > > The 90-10 High Continuation signal is fired when the day's trading
> > > closes within the top 10% of the day's range. It tells us that
> > > yesterday's late day move higher is likely to continue on into
> today.
> > >
> > > Bob Hunt
> > > The Pattern Trapper
> > > E-Mail: RHunt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Web Site: http://www.PatternTrapper.com
> > > Phone: 612-892-5550
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > --------
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >