The Real Spiel

What if inflation isn't just a thing of the past? Despite a recent period of low rates, inflation remains a pivotal factor for your financial portfolio. With influences ranging from geopolitical tensions to budget deficits, the landscape is far from predictable. Inflation's past and future might continue to impact bonds, equities, and commodities, making it more relevant than ever for in...

Global tensions War, drought, political events among a myriad of other global tensions easily affect the output of commodity producing countries worldwide. How do we navigate commodities with heightened geopolitical risk? Disclosure: The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be reg...

USCF opened its doors in 2006 to make investing in commodity futures accessible to every investor.  Why should an investor consider commodities and how do they relate to other asset classes and economic indicators. Disclosure: The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded a...

Inflation is lower, inventories are low.  What does that mean for commodities? Disclosure: The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Management or its affiliat...

Will the supply chain disruptions on opposite sides of the world have the last word on inflation? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Management or its a...

'Softs' led the pack in commodities last year, why doesn't anyone talk about them? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Management or its a...

If the renewable energy transition is a mega trend, why have we've seen weakening in metal prices? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Management or...

How should investors think of fundamentals when it comes to commodities as an asset class?  The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Management or its affilia...

 In the last 120 years, there have been five instances where commodity prices have rallied for a period of 10 years following a trough in commodity prices.  Is this the next Super Cycle? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services pro...

Commodity inventories are historically low across the board and demand is rising.  The problem is production and supply can't respond quick enough and there are no short cuts.  So now what? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory serv...

Inflation is on its way down but that doesn't ensure that we that the ride is over.  Interest Rates will play a major role while leading economic indicators continue to give mixed signals. The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory servi...

We need shelter, we need food, and we need water.  With the worlds breadbasket under attack since early last year, supply of wheat  has been devastated while other grains like soybeans and corn have had their own inventory issues.  What will happen this year? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comme...

Our increasing demand on industrial metals will prove to be challenging to supply, but what metal will win the race to sustainability?  Just how much will inventory drive the price of the metals needed for electric vehicles, solar and wind energy and upgrades to the electricity grids? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the partici...

2022 was full of surprises for investors!  For the first time in 50 years we had both equities and bonds decline while commodities climbed.   How do we position a portfolio to handle the unknown? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory ser...

Understanding the commodity value proposition can help investors allocate across the spectrum of attractive liquid assets without feeling as though they are peering into a crystal ball searching for answers. The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of...

Over the last several decades commodity prices have been closely tied to China and its increasing demand for natural resources.  Recently there has been a slowdown in China's population growth and a decline in their GDP while commodities have continued to do well.  What else could be influencing commodity prices? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, view...

Six months into Russia's war on Ukraine the effects on commodity supplies are being felt around the world.  Additionally, the climate crisis is creating further supply shortages as countries struggle to fill the deficit.   The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded...

Turns out inflation isn't transitory and we are surrounded by it.  Whether its core inflation, wage push inflation or another variety under examination, the one thing we know is that the feds response will be data driven. The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded a...

If we’ve learned anything from the last few years, it’s that you cannot predict the future.  In 2022, we are faced with a land war in Europe, worldwide food scarcity, the highest inflation in decades and so much more.  As fear and interest rates soar, what can we do to cushion the landing? *The season finale is a special collaboration with ETF Guide.  To see a special video version of this episode...

Asset classes behave differently during times of inflation.  Diversification is an important tool investors can use to balance their portfolios, but what does that mean?  How do real assets fit in?  The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory...

Inflation is digging in. Investor anxiety is on the rise. The markets are volatile. What can the Fed do to help? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its affiliates or SummerHaven Investment Mana...

Commodities have become a popular topic of discussion as a way to potentially hedge inflation.  What does investing in commodities actually look like? The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the participants providing such comments, and should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by USCF Investments or its aff...

Commodities and equities have historically had similar returns and volatility yet commodities as an asset class seem to be overlooked.  Investors were interested in commodities up until the financial crises when they performed very well.  Over the past 10 years, many investors have doubled down on equities and largely forgotten commodities. Recently, commodity performance has investors looking at...

Just two years ago, media had zero coverage of inflation as a topic of interest. Now, multiple stories appear every day about how inflation is affecting the global economy, consumers and business.  Recent events are even further accelerating the transition to an inflationary environment.  The commentary provided during this podcast reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of the par...

Concepts such as “contango” and “backwardation” in commodity futures markets are not well understood, and they have a significant impact on realized returns for investors.  How can the negative effects of contango (and possible benefits of backwardation) assist investors in a diversified commodity portfolio, and what are they telling the market about supply and demand? Disclosure: The commentary p...