This invaluable resource provides an overview of the basics and foundations of commodity investing, as well as recent theory and empirical evidence on the commodity markets.

Written by leading practitioners and academics, The Handbook of Commodity Investing explains the complexities of commodity investments, their associated risks, and how investors can optimize their portfolios by including different types of commodity investments. Each chapter contains valuable information for both investors who are currently using or contemplating using commodities as part of their asset allocation and academics who are analyzing the commodity markets theoretically or empirically.

Starting with the basics of commodity investments and moving on to more complex topics, such as performance measurement, asset pricing, and risk management, The Handbook of Commodity Investing is a reliable resource for anyone who needs to understand this dynamic market. Whatever the motivation for your interest in commodities, this book will increase your understanding--hence helping you to reduce risk and enhance returns.

The shift in the balance of economic growth from the developed world to the developing world shows no sign of reversal. For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in the countryside, and their material needs have led to an acceleration in demand for metals, energy, and food. The supply side has been slow to react fully to this change, and as a result, many commodities have reached "tipping points," flipping from surpluses into shortages--and it appears likely that the current period of elevated commodity prices will be prolonged.

The Handbook of Commodity Investing provides the information necessary for investors to understand and successfully incorporate commodities into their portfolios. Filled with a comprehensive collection of information from experts in the commodity investment industry, this detailed guide explains the mechanics of the commodity market, performance measurement, risk management, asset allocation, and the different commodity products, including special classes of assets.

Editors Frank Fabozzi, Roland Fss, and Dieter Kaiser begin with a primer on the basics of commodity investing, offering insight into market participants, commodity sectors, commodity exchanges, return components of commodity futures, and the risk and performance characteristics of the sectors. They provide information on the all-important topic of risk management for commodity investments, outlining seven key principles for effective risk management of commodity futures portfolios. And they offer specific advice on how commodity products can be implemented within an investor's asset allocation, demonstrating how to efficiently design a commodity futures trading program, use hedge funds, and more.

In addition to providing an overview of the various commodity products currently available to investors, the editors offer more detailed information on some of the most important commodity sectors, including commodity market fundamentals for grain, cattle, and hogs; gold and silver; electricity and emissions trading in the European Union; and other key sectors.

An invaluable guide for individuals, institutional investors, and academics, The Handbook of Commodity Investing will show you how to successfully include commodities in a portfolio and provide you with the insights needed to fully understand the fundamentals of this volatile--and highly profitable--market.