More than 40 metals and rare earths are used in the manufacture of a smart phone. The following infographic shows some of those that are present in a smart phone: Click to enlarge Source: Canadian Mining The following graphics from U.S. Geological Survey shows more details on the metals including where they are mined in the …
Continue reading ‘Minerals and Metals in Your Smartphone: Infographic’ »
I came across the below excellent infographic on the history of metals. The discovery and use of metals is as old as the human civilization. For instance, gold was used to make jewelry as early as 6,000 BC. Similarly other metals such as copper, silver, iron, etc. were already in use during the ancient times. …
Commodities had one of the best years last year in recent history. The dramatic recovery in crude oil prices led to crude ending the year with a 55% gain. Natural gas was up about 47%. The best performing commodity was coal with a return of over 160%. Despite the rising popularity of renewables coal is …
Continue reading ‘The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns 2021: Chart’ »
Investing in commodities is not for the faint-hearted. It takes nerves of steel to endure years of pain. Generally for most retail investors, investing in commodities directly is not a wise strategy. However commodities do have a role in a well-diversified portfolio. So adding a small percentage of gold for instance can help protect a …
Continue reading ‘Commodities Go Through Periods of Booms and Busts’ »
The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns published yearly by US Funds is an excellent tool for commodity investors similar to The Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns for US equity investors. Silver was the best performing commodity return last year with a return of about 48%. The next top returns came from Copper and Palladium, …
Continue reading ‘The Periodic Table of Commodity Returns 2020’ »