When Considering Alternative Investments, Look At Farmland And Forestry As Well As Gold [View article]
This is an excellent point Jeffrey. There is a graph we came across recently here: http://bit.ly/13qjIsr. Interestingly enough, the graph shows that the least expensive farmland is indeed in Bulgaria and Romania. There is also an American firm that specializes in Bulgarian farmland that seems to be well entrenched in those countries. At any rate, farmland in the UK - and probably the States as well - really seems to be in a bit of a bubble, so emerging markets seems to be the best place to look for exposure to this asset class.
Why Income Investing Will Be Difficult In 2013 (Part 2): 2 Safe Income Generators To Buy [View article]
Very much agree with Robert. Just look at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Many people in the UK lost a bloody fortune holdingtheir stock or preferred shares in the crash. These big banks are like black boxes, one never knows what's inside. Nothing is "safe" these days, although certain alternative investment options such as timber or agricultural land will at least not fluctuate madly like the banks do.
Timber Set To Soar Says Jeremy Grantham [View article]
PCL is the best of the lot for a timber REIT. However, a timber stock or REIT still does not provide the "pure" exposure to timber that actually owning a piece of forestry does
Timber REITs Prove To Be A Very Safe Bet [View article]
PCL is the best of the lot for a timber REIT. However, a timber stock or REIT still does not provide the "pure" exposure to timber that actually owning a piece of forestry does.
All you have to do is look at a graph of the wheat price to see trend we are in: http://bit.ly/ZNBjZu. My personal opinion is the producers or even agricultural land for the ag sector. Futures seem like a great way for the inexperienced to lose money!
Grain Prices Lower On Higher Production In 2013 [View article]
Interesting post, but not sure that wheat will be going down this year. So many factors to consider, especially related to climate change. What happens if there is another major drought in the US, or maybe Russia like 2010?? We are entering a scary world of food scarcity. For investors, the takeaway is look at agriculture and farmland.
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
OK, Cliff, here is a question:
Suppose one is holding UK Pounds or EUR or USD. What would be the best alternative currency or currencies to go into, and what is the best way to access these? Unless I'm mistaken, most of the currency ETFs of strong currencies don't pay income, correct? I mean the idea would be to be in a strong Asian currency like the Singapore Dollar, but in some situation that would at least pay a little bit of income as well.
When Considering Alternative Investments, Look At Farmland And Forestry As Well As Gold [View article]
Hi Nico,
I had not heard of that one, but it sounds like an excellent option. Quality Canadian farmland is tremendously inexpensive compared to farmland elsewhere, so if there is a way to access it, its' a great idea. I do think its' a problem for non-Canadians to own actual farmland directly, but this sounds like an excellent alternative - nice find!
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
Interestingly enough, I also read somewhere that commodities futures were moving out of contango over to backwardization, or at least someone was predicting this. It seems like backwardization means the roll yield is positive, whilst contango means it is negative. I really do not quite understand how futures markets work, but I reckon that backwardization adds to the returns whilst contango subtracts from the performance.
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
True, Gold can be kept in a safe, and in this day and age, that may well be the safest thing to do, suppose it depends on each person. I can see why it could be satisfying for someone to go down to their basement, unlock their safe and take out their investment - probably a very satisfying feeling! Holding physical Gold definitely seems like a better bet as well then holding a Gold ETF. There are always articles coming out asking whether the Gold is actually there, is it loaned out at times (which seems to be a common practice). Not an expert in these things, but does seem like there is a real risk in holding a Gold ETF. Here in Europe, there was a recent case whereby Germany actually withdrew a thousand tons of gold from storage at the Bank of England: http://bit.ly/W3PCnN. There were all kinds of jokes that the Germans could have been worried that their Gold would be sold or something like that, as back in 2000 when Blair was PM his Treasury Secretary Gordon Brown sold a huge chunk of the UK's gold supply at the absolute bottom of the market, around $250, and Britain has missed out on 700% gains since then!
Inside Citi's 2013 Agriculture Outlook [View article]
Just found another article on your site about the long-term demographic case for grain: http://bit.ly/YXKc34. Its' a really nice piece, love anything that looks at themes from a longer-term macro perspective.
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
We are out of the UK and are basically just an online firm acting under contract as a marketing agent for a large alternative investment house in London that actually finances and develops these projects. We do try to provide good information on our website though. As to the broader point though, it does seem like there are other options besides gold for real assets - things like oil trusts or pipeline companies seem like they can be purchased out of a brokerage account and they pay pretty good income. And think about it, energy is the single most fundamental commodity to the modern global economy, so its' got real economic value, whilst Gold seems more a faith-based investment. Of course, the Gold bugs hate this argument, but until that beautiful metal pays me something to hold it, I'll look for alternative options in the real asset complex and save Gold as jewelry for my wife's next birthday present:)
Inside Citi's 2013 Agriculture Outlook [View article]
Thanks for the link to the BI piece and your firm's piece on agriculture. We love - I mean love - the ag sector. There is an excellent long-term macro case for agriculture, and wrote an article outlining this a few months ago on SA: http://seekingalpha.co...
Also, apropos of your point on corm stagnating whilst wheat will rise, Businessweek magazine had a good article on this exact theme last week: http://buswk.co/YUPNHo
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
True. I've always had some questions about Gold. Yes, the whole "real money" argument is clear, but it pays no incoem and has no inherent economic value the way things like oil, forestry and agriculture do.
When Considering Alternative Investments, Look At Farmland And Forestry As Well As Gold [View article]
Why Income Investing Will Be Difficult In 2013 (Part 2): 2 Safe Income Generators To Buy [View article]
Timber Set To Soar Says Jeremy Grantham [View article]
Timber REITs Prove To Be A Very Safe Bet [View article]
Byron Wien's 10 Market Surprises In 2013: Commodity Effect [View article]
Grain Prices Lower On Higher Production In 2013 [View article]
Will Diminishing Agricultural Inputs Hinder Our Ability To Feed A Growing Population? [View article]
1) Peak phosphorus. Great article here on British investor Jeremy Grantham's dystopian view of this: http://read.bi/UDnQes
2) Arable farmland is shrinking whilst population is exploding: http://seekingalpha.co...
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
Suppose one is holding UK Pounds or EUR or USD. What would be the best alternative currency or currencies to go into, and what is the best way to access these? Unless I'm mistaken, most of the currency ETFs of strong currencies don't pay income, correct? I mean the idea would be to be in a strong Asian currency like the Singapore Dollar, but in some situation that would at least pay a little bit of income as well.
When Considering Alternative Investments, Look At Farmland And Forestry As Well As Gold [View article]
I had not heard of that one, but it sounds like an excellent option. Quality Canadian farmland is tremendously inexpensive compared to farmland elsewhere, so if there is a way to access it, its' a great idea. I do think its' a problem for non-Canadians to own actual farmland directly, but this sounds like an excellent alternative - nice find!
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
I can see why it could be satisfying for someone to go down to their basement, unlock their safe and take out their investment - probably a very satisfying feeling! Holding physical Gold definitely seems like a better bet as well then holding a Gold ETF. There are always articles coming out asking whether the Gold is actually there, is it loaned out at times (which seems to be a common practice). Not an expert in these things, but does seem like there is a real risk in holding a Gold ETF. Here in Europe, there was a recent case whereby Germany actually withdrew a thousand tons of gold from storage at the Bank of England: http://bit.ly/W3PCnN. There were all kinds of jokes that the Germans could have been worried that their Gold would be sold or something like that, as back in 2000 when Blair was PM his Treasury Secretary Gordon Brown sold a huge chunk of the UK's gold supply at the absolute bottom of the market, around $250, and Britain has missed out on 700% gains since then!
Inside Citi's 2013 Agriculture Outlook [View article]
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]
Inside Citi's 2013 Agriculture Outlook [View article]
Also, apropos of your point on corm stagnating whilst wheat will rise, Businessweek magazine had a good article on this exact theme last week: http://buswk.co/YUPNHo
8 Reasons To Buy Gold And Other Inflation Protection Now [View article]