| The sharp drop in oil and rise in the dollar are harbingers of weakness for the asset class. This year has been a tough one for many commodities, mainly due to a strong U.S. dollar. Many investment analysts say the situation isn’t likely to get any easier in 2015.
West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil futures, for instance, have lost over 45% of their value since June this year – prompting some investors to call this jolt the “oil shock of 2014.” Plus, the steep decline in oil prices has had an impact throughout the commodities sector, with further fallout anticipated for next year. As an asset class, commodities weakened about 12% in the third quarter of 2014, according to Morningstar. For the 12 months ended Oct. 31, the group is now nearly 7%...............................................Full Article: Source
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