Home/Blogs/Are Commodities Correlated To Equities

Are Commodities Correlated To Equities

Traders constantly look for new ways to estimate movements of prices in the markets, whether trading in stocks or any other assets. Although it is well known that traders depend on variables like momentum, charts, earnings, and volumes as indicators of market movements, they also may look at commodities in relation to equities. Commodities and equities could give a good idea of ways in which markets move.

The Commodity Markets

From the perspective of finance, commodities comprise minerals and ores extracted from the earth. The dominant commodities traded in the commodities markets through online trading are gold, copper, iron ore, and zinc. It is very likely for most traders in the stock market to ignore any connection between commodities and equities. Nonetheless, a correlation between the two may help traders trade in good ways. Still, there are important aspects of commodities to grasp first.

Look at Commodity Markets in a Unique Way

Commodities are distinct with regard to pricing and the factors of demand and supply. These are the key dynamics that play roles in commodity trading. The majority of commodities are receptive to the factors of supply and demand. Consequently, innovative and new applications respective to any commodity, or the evolution of new sources of a commodity, can significantly impact the demand and supply of any given commodity and commodity trading thereof.

Furthermore, a commodity is not dependent on any kind of parameters that are linked to brand value. So, the price of a commodity is majorly based on supply and demand variables. If demand and supply remain stable (or equal in a sense), prices will be steady. If there is a shift in any of the factors, either demand or supply, you can bet that there will be a consequent implication in the price of the commodity. In November 2014, there was an insurance of this with the crash of oil prices taking place. Finally, commodity markets are vast and global, and there are traders, speculators and hedgers continuously involved in such markets. Commodity trading will clearly be impacted by various aspects of markets.

Trends Between Commodities and Equities

The prices of commodities affect the prices of equities in dual ways. Firstly, there are some entities that deal with only commodities. Examples of this are those entities responsible for producing copper, zinc, aluminium, and iron ore. What’s more, oil extraction companies and those that operate gold mines produce commodities too. These are the companies that are synonymous with stocks of an output-sensitive nature. Here, the value of a commodity is dependent on the performance of the business. When the prices of commodities surge, such companies tend to perform very well. So, you can buy equity of any commodity company, just as you buy stock of any other company belonging to any other sector, like a pharmaceutical company’s stock, for example.

Also, there exist another set of companies where the prices of commodities impact equities with stocks of an input-sensitive nature. Here, such companies are engaged in the business of utilising commodities as part of their input. For example, the commodities and equities industries are linked as in the paint sector, oil is a vital input. When the price of the commodity input drops, companies are prone to outplay.

Understanding Connections

It is easy to open a demat account or to invest in any upcoming IPO these days. However, investment in equities may compel you to do some research while choosing your stocks for investment. If you determine links between equities and commodities for stocks that apply to this, you may be able to gauge price fluctuations and estimations of gains to your advantage.