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The Case for Long/Short Commodities

June 2024

Why Commodities?

Commodities play a crucial role in both the global economy and in constructing a well-diversified portfolio. Commodity markets are generally large and liquid, and have grown substantially in recent decades. Commodities can play an important role in an investment portfolio by offering diversification and growth potential.

Access to Additional Markets

Commodity strategies offer access to vast markets. Historically, they have provided a potential hedge against inflation, and have been used as an investment to help participate in global economic growth. As these markets fluctuate, a diversified commodities portfolio with the ability to go long or short can provide the potential for profits in both rising and falling commodity markets.

Graphic of commodities

Diversification

Long/short commodity strategies have historically provided strong returns, and their performance has generally not moved in tandem with stocks or bonds. Adding investment strategies such as long/short commodities, which exhibit a low correlation to other asset classes, provides the potential to reduce risk and improve returns in traditional investment portfolios.

CorrelationJanuary 1, 2008 - June 30, 2024
Long/Short CommoditiesU.S. StocksBonds
Long/Short Commodities1.00
U.S. Stocks0.211.00
Bonds-0.010.261.00

Potential to Enhance Returns

While commodities can be an important asset class in a well-diversified portfolio, historically, the majority of commodity investments have been long-only. Long-only commodity investments can be highly volatile and subject to significant drawdowns when prices decline, as seen in the graph below. Adding a long/short commodities strategy to a portfolio provides the potential to generate higher returns, reduce risk, and achieve better capital preservation than with a long-only commodities investment.

Growth of Investment

Growth of a Hypothetical $1,000 investment on January 1, 2008, through June 30, 2024

Growth of Investment

Average Annual ReturnVolatilityMax Drawdown
Long/Short Commodities3.95%5.79%-12.96%
Long-Only Commodities-4.14%23.29%-87.22%

Index Returns As of June 30, 2024
1 Year5 Years10 Years
HFRI Macro Commodity Index5.21%9.11%4.88%
S&P 500 Index24.56%15.05%12.86%
BBg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index2.63%-0.23%1.35%
S&P GSCI Commodity Index15.01%8.28%-3.12%

Learn more about Long/Short Equity >