Prices of commodities including copper, wheat, corn and other metals are falling, and a recession is the key suspect. What’s the big deal? Copper, used in all parts of manufacturing and construction, is often used to track the economy’s health. Falling copper prices can indicate an incoming recession — but historically hasn’t always been a…
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Goldman calls the end of the battery metal bull market
Thanks to a massive surge in commodity prices, coal may be the most desired gift this year. But governments and car manufacturers prefer a different type of commodity — lithium. Strong demand for battery metals Prices of lithium — a key material in electric vehicle (EV) batteries — soared nearly 400% in the past year….
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Lithium prices sore and electric vehicle makers are feeling the pain
Prices for lithium — a key material in electric vehicles — are up over 440% in the past year (per Benchmark) — and electric vehicle (EV) makers are feeling the pain. What’s the big deal? EV sales surpassed expectations in the past few years — creating a massive lithium shortage and a big problem for…
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Commodities are trading like meme stocks
The US has officially banned Russian oil, gas and energy — which will no longer be accepted in US ports — sending oil prices even higher. What’s the big deal? Russian oil only makes up 8% of oil imports — but the move still has negative consequences on the US via rising energy prices. To…
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Supply and demand imbalance sends uranium prices and stocks up
Uranium, an obscure commodity, is a new Reddit favorite. Prices for the radioactive metal rocketed 41% in 2021 — sending the few uranium mining stocks soaring. What’s the big deal? Classic Econ 101. Demand for uranium, which fuels nuclear reactors for electricity power, is expected to surpass supply. Driving that demand is climate change: Nuclear…
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After oil’s tremendous run, experts see 3 scenarios for its future
Over the past few days, major oil producers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and United Arab Emirates failed to agree on terms to increase oil output. This initially sent oil prices/stocks soaring. But investors realized this could be bad for oil prices — sending prices back down. What’s the big deal? Oil prices rose non-stop this…
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Oil stocks: Understanding the basics of investing in oil
Oil has been one of the top-performing asset classes in 2021, but before jumping in, here’s a reminder of the basics of oil investing… Oil is cyclical: This means oil prices tend to rise when the economy is doing well and fall when it isn’t. Like most things? Yes, but cyclical stocks tend to move…
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Clean energy fuels stock becomes next Reddit meme target
Clean Energy Fuels stock jumped 30% yesterday — as one of the most discussed stocks among Reddit communities. CLNE is a natural gas distributor in the transportation industry with over 550 refueling stations across the US/Canada. What’s the big deal (memes aside)? It’s a classic clean energy story. 10 years ago, natural gas replaced coal…
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Oil prices rises to 2-year high — what’s the impact for oil investors?
In the past week, oil prices reached another milestone — breaking $70 a barrel and setting a 2-year high. Oil prices are up 35% this year and traders are betting there’s more room to grow. What’s the big deal? Throughout 2020, the rise of clean energy sparked conversations on the imminent death of oil —…
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ExxonMobil fights with shareholders over clean energy strategy
ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), one of the world’s largest oil giants, is faced with a shareholder vote today that could force it to take clean energy seriously. What’s the big deal? The world is moving towards clean energy, but XOM refuses to adapt from its big oil ways — investing more in oil operations with just a…
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