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Commentary provided by Chad Burlet of Third Street AG Investments After months of high volatility and wide daily and weekly trading ranges, the agricultural markets settled down considerably in October. Corn and soybean futures were particularly docile, with corn volatility falling to a two-year low and soybean volatility to a one-year low. The monthly trading range in […]

Investors generally do an excellent job of looking at their equity allocations at the portfolio level. A single stock that drops 30% in an otherwise steady(ish) overall plan rarely gets much focus. On the other hand, a futures program that dropped 30% would often net a lot of attention. Some of this might be attributable […]

Is the equity market giving you heartburn? Bond market, too? Perhaps traditional asset classes lulled us into a false sense of confidence. After all, since 2008, outside of a few hiccups, returns provided ample reason to believe that our portfolios were destined to keep growing. But, as a trader once said to me, “Sometimes trading […]

Commentary provided by Chad Burlet of Third Street AG Investments The last business day of September always brings the USDA’s report of September 1st U.S. grain stocks, the end of the previous crop year. This report has often yielded surprises that force a change in the last fall’s crop size and create significant moves in the futures […]

The Efficient Market Hypothesis, introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot and popularized by Eugene Fama, infers that investing markets reflect all information to determine prices. Therefore, if the Fed is expected to raise rates by 75 basis points, the current market levels should reflect that consideration. This also means that nobody should be able to “beat the […]

We addressed the looming energy crisis in Europe in several articles, including the “War on Low Energy Prices,” It appears the day of reckoning is quickly approaching. However, they are choosing paths that I did not anticipate. In reaction to Russia closing the pipeline, the Europeans proposed two solutions; capping the amount that Russia would […]

Commentary provided by Chad Burlet of Third Street AG Investments We opened the month of August with all eyes on the M/V Razoni, the first vessel to sail out of Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February. The Razoni and at least 64 other vessels traveled safely through the corridors the UN, Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine agreed […]

Where did the bankruptcies go? Despite the world locking down, the expected spate of business failures did not materialize as expected. In fact, they barely showed up at all. According to Matt Taunt of Taunt Law Firm, a Michigan-based firm specializing in the area, “Filings fell off a cliff in 2020 to lows not seen […]

If you find someone who thinks it is smart to go without insurance for their house, you might think they are insane. After all, our home is a large asset, protects our family’s safety, and provides the comfort of a roof over our heads. Our vehicles are worth even less and get the same treatment. […]

While the number of hedge fund types is virtually unlimited, all hedge funds are supposed to hedge risk (thus the name). Many investors believe this means that their investment with these managers will turn a profit when the rest of their portfolio is losing. The chart below proves this is not the case. The reason? […]

Much like Mark Twain, tales of the death of oil seem to be greatly exaggerated. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that by the year 2050, we will be using slightly more fuel than we are now, with little change from year to year (see chart below). Famed investor Warren Buffet increased his […]

Commentary by GZC Investment Management Global balances in crude have been tight in 2H21 but since then have been globally neutral to soft. Great disparities between OECD and non-OECD countries have been noticeable. In short, OECD has been drawing oil stocks rapidly until recently while non-OECD countries, particularly China, were constantly building stocks, allowing them […]