Energy commodities such as crude are closely watched by countries, corporations and consumers alike. The average Western consumer can become significantly impacted by high crude prices. Alternatively, oil-producing countries in the Middle East (that are largely dependent onpetrodollars as their source of income) can become adversely affected by low crude prices. Unusual disruptions caused by weather or natural disasters can not only be an impetus for price volatility, but can also cause regional food shortages. Read on to find out about the role that various commodities play in the global economy and how investors can turn economic events into opportunities.

Commodities 101

The four categories of trading commodities include:

• Energy (including crude oil, heating oil, natural gas and gasoline)
• Metals (including gold, silver, platinum and copper)
• Commodities (including cotton, rice, wheat, barley, sugar etc)

We here at Group of Tabanis do trading in all above fields.