Many investors, when first entering the investment market, often focus only on stocks and bonds, neglecting an equally important asset class—commodities. In fact, commodities such as crude oil, copper, and gold, along with stocks, bonds, and foreign exchange, form the core of global investment asset allocation. Their price fluctuations directly reflect the state of the global economy, and they are highly liquid, making them worth a deeper understanding.
What exactly are commodities?
The so-called commodities refer to large quantities of physical goods that are available for circulation but are not part of retail channels, possess commodity attributes, and are used in industrial production and consumption. The biggest difference from ordinary goods is "large"—large supply, large demand, high circulation, and substantial inventories. Therefore, they are often located upstream in the industrial chain.
Commodities are mainly divided into six categories:
Energy—including crude oil, gasoline, fuel oil, natural gas, and electricity. Among them, crude oil