On Monday, news of coordinated bomb attacks in Baghdad made headlines around the world, highlighting the ongoing violence that continues to grip Iraq. Also on Monday, the government reported that the man known as “Chemical Ali,” one of the most ruthless allies of Saddam Hussein, was executed for crimes against humanity. Receiving far less attention was a development in the country that could have a major impact on the Iraqi economy and the global crude oil market. [click to continue…]
The Jefferies | TR/J CRB Wildcatters Exploration & Production Equity ETF (WCAT) began trading this week, offering investors a way to gain exposure to equity securities of a global universe of companies engaged in the production of oil and natural gas sectors. The index underlying WCAT is a modified cap-weighted benchmark. To be eligible for inclusion, companies must maintain a market capitalization between $200 million and $2 billion and must generate at least 75% of annual revenues from the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. [click to continue…]
Over the last year, U.S. equity markets have staged a remarkable recovery as volatility has plummeted and the emergency stimulus measures implemented amidst heated debate appear to have had their intended effect. Indications that unemployment may be close to peaking and that consumer confidence is on the rise once again only add fuel to the [...]
Oil prices have nearly doubled from January 2009 levels, and many investors are once again looking towards energy ETFs as potential beneficiaries of a prolonged jump in prices. But unlike previous oil rallies, the domestic energy sector has delivered a muted performance in the wake of the most recent run-up. The industry followed “black gold’s” [...]
One of the world’s most successful bond managers is encouraging investors to bet against predictions made recently by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who recently told a group of business leaders that inflation was not a major concern and could even move lower from its current levels.
Direct investment in crude oil products used to be limited to major financial institutions and oil companies themselves, but the development of the ETF industry in the U.S. has democratized the investment process in many ways, including making investments in various oil products accessible to average investors. There are a number of exchange-traded products that [...]
Over the last two weeks, crude oil prices have crept higher on hopes of a continued recovery and increasingly strong demand from China. With some analysts anticipating that crude will continue to rise, many investors have begun tilting their portfolios more heavily towards energy ETFs, hoping that higher margins will lead this sector to outperform [...]
Through the first six months of the Obama administration, campaign promises were largely moved to the back burner while all available resources were devoted to an economy spiraling further and further into recession. Now that the country has lifted itself out of the recession and a recovery, albeit a fragile one, is underway, Washington has [...]
Last week, BP PLC announced the discovery of a “giant” new oil field about 200 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The oil field is an an area that was once known as the “Dead Sea” in the oil industry, but has since witnessed several discoveries of massive reserves and become one of the most [...]
