By Jared Cummans

Precious metals investors have been on a wild ride this year, as economies pulled back and forth and a number of major events had these metals all over the board. This year saw the announcement of QE3, QE4 and the re-election of president Barack Obama -- all of which had big implications for precious metals. But what many investors are concerned about is not necessarily how these commodities performed as a whole, but which outshined the rest. Below, we put the two most popular PMs, gold and silver, head-to-head to see who took the crown in 2012.

GLD Vs. SLV

The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is not only the largest commodity ETF in the world, it is the second-largest exchange traded product, period. Its physically-backed structure has thrust it into popularity as a long-term hold, but it also has a strong liquidity for active traders. The

by Stephen D. Simpson

Due to better governance practices and a commodity boom, Brazil's economy has enjoyed incredible growth over the past 20 years. Brazil is now the largest economy in Latin America and the sixth or seventh largest economy depending upon the metric used. On the other hand, while Brazil's GDP per capita has improved, it still ranks at a relatively low 64th in the world - meaning that it is a large economy, but not an especially wealthy one yet (at least not uniformly so). While Brazil has made a concerted effort to build up its manufacturing sector (and reduce the risk of being trapped as a commodity-driven economy), minerals, energy and agriculture are still very significant to the Brazilian economy, as well as the larger global economy.

Mining

Mining is still a significant industry within Brazil, as it accounts for nearly 4% of GDP and about

by Jared Cummans

It was a pretty hectic year for agricultural commodities as the summer months wreaked havoc on prices. After the United States endured the hottest 12-month span on record and an abysmal drought, a number of these staple commodities experienced big movements in price and trading volume alike. But now that 2012 is nearing its close, we look back at these funds throughout the course of the year to see which funds outperformed the rest.

WEET Dominates

It's always nice to see a smaller fund outdo its largest competitors, as the iPath Pure Beta Grains ETN (WEET) has just $2.7 million in assets. WEET tracks an index that is comprised of a basket of grains futures in an attempt to mitigate the impact of contango. The strategy has worked beautifully this year, as WEET comes in as the top performer, jumping just over 23% for the

By Jared Cummans

As 2012 draws to an end, investors are taking time to reflect on some of the best- and worst-performing commodities of the year. Though the year’s headlines have been dominated by energy and precious metals, there are a number of assets that have flown relatively under the radar. Industrial metals are among the most practical commodities on the market given their wide use in our everyday lives, but they rarely receive attention over something like gold or oil. Below, we outline the performances of some of the biggest industrial metals for 2012.

Best: iPath Dow Jones-UBS Tin Total Return Sub-Index ETN (JJT) Takes the Crown

Though the tin ETN has just over $6 million in assets, its 2012 performance speaks for itself as the fund has jumped a healthy 21% on the year. With global economies picking up this year, the demand and use

By Daniela Pylypczak

The rapid development of the ETF industry has cracked the world of commodity investing wide open, allowing average investors to gain cheap and easy access to a previously hard-to-reach asset class. And while some choose to focus on a single commodity, many investors also look for more diversified exposure, or perhaps even an equity spin on the space. As the ETF industry continues to expand, investors are now able to pick and choose from hundreds of products.

Six months ago, issuers US Commodity Funds, Exchange Traded Concepts and BNP Paribas rolled out yet another three intriguing commodity exchange-traded products; a diversified metals portfolio (USMI), an oil sands ETF (SNDS) and a global commodities fund (BNPC). Though it is still too early to tell whether or not these funds will be successful, together these three funds have accumulated over $20 million in assets under management. Below we take

By Stoyan Bojinov

Major equity indexes continue to drift higher despite unresolved drama in Washington D.C., which has led many to wonder just how serious the next sell-off may be if Congress fails to strike a deal on time. Amid the doom and gloom, however, there is a silver lining; upbeat U.S. employment data from last week and a rebound in China factory orders are two signs that the global recovery remains under way. With a slowly but surely improving outlook on the horizon, the beat-down energy sector appears ripe with opportunities for gutsy bulls.

Chart Analysis

Energy juggernaut Exxon Mobil (XOM) has endured a healthy correction over the past two months; since recently peaking at $93.67 a share on October 19, this stock has shed upward of 4%. However, what's encouraging is the fact that it has managed to rebound off its 200-day moving average (yellow line) in

By Jared Cummans

It looks like déjà vu all over again for natural gas traders, as the coming winter has already had a mild start. With warmer than usual temperatures thus far in December, NG has taken a hit even though it has been looking to recover from last year’s winter, which wreaked havoc on prices. It started with a warm forecast for the first 10 days of December, but the warm weather has stuck around and seems to be persisting for the month.

“Recent data from Weather Derivatives show that heating demand will be 34 percent below average for the 48 contiguous states from Dec. 4 through Dec. 8. The forecast for lower demand has seen prices for natural gas fall 5.2 percent in the past week,” writes Marketwire.

Thus far in 2012, natural gas is down over 20% despite making a massive rally during the

By Jared Cummans

As 2012 comes to a close, Wall Street begins to look ahead to the coming year and what trends will have the biggest impact on the commodity world. Financial behemoth Citigroup (C) recently came out with an all-encompassing forecast for the next two years for almost every major commodity. Of particular interest was its outlook on ags, as these commodities have been on a wild ride for 2012; one of the hottest summers on record and an extended drought sent futures all over the board.

Corn to Stagnate

This yellow commodity has been a favorite for traders around the industry given its laundry list of uses in our everyday lives. After this year's less-than-optimal crop yields, corn prices surged more than 20% on the year, with the bulk of those gains coming in the summer months. Citi sees high prices holding for the first half

By Jared Cummans

It is no secret that gold is one of the most talked about assets of the last few years, as this metal's historic run has put it in the limelight. The price of gold has gone up for 12 straight years, and is on pace to make it 13 when this year comes to a close. But it seems that despite all of the gold bugs calling for the metal to surge to unbelievable highs, major financial institutions are calling for the gold bubble to finally burst in the coming months.

The Anti-Gold Sentiment

Being bearish on gold in the last decade has probably left you with your tail between your legs, as it has been one of the best performing assets out there. Its safe haven appeal and ability to keep pace with inflation has made it a staple product in many portfolios, but

By Carolyn Pairitz

Two years ago, ETF Securities launched the first ever physically-backed precious metals ETF that focuses exclusively on silver, platinum and palladium. Since its inception in December 2010, WITE has accumulated just over $40 million in assets under management and trades on average over 3,000 shares daily. As the global market moves steadily into recovery, WITE remains a strong and moderately-priced portfolio for commodity investors.

Under The Hood

WITE is the only offering that offers bundled exposure to silver, platinum and palladium under one ticker. This one-of-a-kind offering is designed to reflect the performance of the prices of silver, platinum and palladium bullion through a portfolio that is comprised of physical exposure to each of the metals. From an allocation perspective, WITE dedicates about 60% of its total assets to silver, while platinum account for 30% and palladium fills in the last slot at 10%. JPMorgan Chase

By Jared Cummans

As 2012 nears its close, investors are beginning to look toward a new year, one that will hopefully be less volatile for the commodity world. The precious metals world, in particular, saw a fair amount of volatility throughout the past year as this elite group of four has rarely had a quiet period. With the approaching fiscal cliff and economic uncertainty fresh in the minds of many, predicting where these commodities will end up next year has become a hobby of analysts all across the market.

Citigroup (C) recently came out with its forecast for these four metals for the coming year, and Citi has some insights that investors may want to pay attention to prior to making allocations.

Gold To Gain…For Now

Gold's average price in 2012 fell at $1,679/oz, and Citi expects the yellow metal to add to that tally for the

by Justin Kuepper

Homebuilders and other housing industry stocks have been strong performers in 2012 as low interest rates offset higher underwriting standards for home loans. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) rose more than 54% since the beginning of this year, while the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) is up more than 74% over the same period.

While equities may offer exposure to homebuilding companies, commodities represent another great way to play the boom in the homebuilding industry. Timber, copper, cement and other commodities are widely used in the construction and therefore could benefit from the higher demand due to new home construction in the United States.

Timber: Money Does Grow on Trees

A typical 2,400 square foot, single-family home requires approximately 16,000 board feet of framing lumber and over 14,000 square feet of other wood products including plywood, particleboard and fiberboard, according to

By Jared Cummans

Trading in the overall market was relatively normal on Wednesday -- your average worries about the fiscal cliff and Europe snuck their way in, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until you looked at Freeport-McMoRan's (FCX) stock for the day. This major copper and gold producer was absolutely slaughtered, as investors participated in one of the nastiest sell-offs we have seen in recent weeks. The massive drop had nothing to do with the commodities they produce, but rather a questionable business move that left many scratching their heads.

Inside the Sell-Off

Let's start with the sheer volume of this move. As of yesterday, FCX traded around 14 million shares on an average day; Wednesday’s session saw over 153 million shares exchange hands, more than 10 times the average volume. The stock price dropped from $38.28 to $32.16 during the day, representing

By Daniela Pylypczak

In his most recent investment outlook, aptly titled “Strawberry Fields – Forever?”, legendary bond king Bill Gross warned that Americans should be prepared to face some “structural economic headwinds” in the next few years that will likely frustrate almost all of us. Besides the damages still felt by the financial crisis, diminished productivity gains and the looming fiscal cliff, Gross points out that are other glaring red flags that investors should keep their eyes on, as these critical factors will likely hamper economic growth in not only the United States, but also in other developed nations across the globe.

In order for real economic growth to exceed the lackluster figures we see today, Gross identifies four structural economic headwinds that we must overcome: debt, globalization, technology and demographics. The debt issue is perhaps the most obvious one, as the reduction of our nations’ and the

By Jared Cummans

Gold has been a major talking point in the commodity world for the last few weeks. Although it seems as if the metal has been grabbing headlines for the better part of a year, the anticipation of the fiscal cliff and the future of the U.S. dollar have gold investors on the edge of their seats. Famed investor Jim Rogers recently chimed in with his views on the precious metal, as he has been an owner for quite some time, but investors may not like what he has to say.

After reiterating the shocking trend of gold turning in 12 straight winning years, Rogers pointed out that he feels the asset is the subject of too much trader speculation for the time being. "If you look at the open interest from the CFTC, the speculators have been piling into gold. The number of call options

By Jared Cummans

As we roll into December, the clock is ticking on the time bomb that is the fiscal cliff. For the most part, markets seem confident that Congress will either reach an agreement or come up with some kind of measure to buy them more time to debate. But recent talks seem to be going nowhere, and many investors are starting to get worried. One of the most talked about assets in relation to the cliff is gold.

Some feel as if the precious metal will soar to new highs in the coming weeks, while others think that the commodity will fall along with everything else. Either way, it appears as though the yellow metal will be a pivotal point to watch in the coming weeks.

The Bull Case

This one is pretty straightforward, as there a number of scenarios in which analysts are calling for

By Jared Cummans

Marc “Dr. Doom” Faber has never been shy about his opinions concerning the global markets, especially with his Twitter account. As usual, the slight feeling of anonymity with the Internet and social media leads to brutal honesty that people may not necessarily show in a normal conversation. And so is the case with Mr. Faber’s Twitter account, as a recent tweet read, “I keep in my toilet a picture of Mr. Bernanke. And every time I think about selling my gold, I look at it and I know better!”

Though it seems like a comical message at first, the 140 characters or less message actually brings up a good point in the gold market today. Many seem to have their eyes fixated on the fiscal cliff and how it will impact the precious metal, and rightfully so seeing as there are just a few short

By Jared Cummans

The gold ETF space has been one of the most active in the industry in recent years. In fact, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is the second-largest exchange-traded product in the world with well over $70 billion in total assets. But the options do not end there, as issuers have continued to innovate with new and exciting products to give investors multiple ways to play their precious metal. Leveraged products have been among the most popular innovations, as they allows traders the opportunity for big gains (or, unfortunately, losses).

Late last year, a pair of gold ETFs debuted with a 300% leverage, the first and only of their kind. Below, we take a look at how the two funds have done in their first year on the market and what happens next for the products.

3x Inverse Gold ETN (DGLD)

The bear fund is geared toward

By Jared Cummans

The United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is by far the most popular ETF offering exposure to this fossil fuel. But the fund has come under heavy fire in recent years, as its failure to accurately track NG over the long term has been a point of contention for many. Since inception, the downward pressures on NG have made UNG one of the worst-performing ETFs of all time, as the product was forced to endure multiple reverse splits just to stay open. At its worst, UNG was sitting down 98% since inception, though it has recovered slightly in recent months.

In fact, UNG has never been able to finish out a calendar year in the black. The fund debuted in April 2007, making its first full calendar year 2008. Though the NG giant had a positive seven or eight months to close out 2007, it

by Justin Kuepper

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has become tremendously popular in the United States and Canada over the past couple of years. By pumping pressurized fluid into a wellbore, the process enables companies to extract previously inaccessible hydrocarbons. The result has been a natural gas bonanza in many parts of the U.S., particularly in shale regions like the Barnett Shale Basin in Texas and the Bakken Formation in North Dakota, as well as in parts of Canada.

Below, we outline 10 ways to invest in fracking technology to help prepare your portfolio for what many feel is the next big thing in the energy world.

1. Market Vectors Unconventional Oil & Gas ETF (FRAK): An exchange-traded fund targeting the unconventional oil and gas industry, including coal-bed methane (CBM), coal seam gas (CSG), shale oil, shale gas, tight natural gas, tight oil and tight sands. After starting