Most Popular
1. It’s a New Macro, the Gold Market Knows It, But Dead Men Walking Do Not (yet)- Gary_Tanashian
2.Stock Market Presidential Election Cycle Seasonal Trend Analysis - Nadeem_Walayat
3. Bitcoin S&P Pattern - Nadeem_Walayat
4.Nvidia Blow Off Top - Flying High like the Phoenix too Close to the Sun - Nadeem_Walayat
4.U.S. financial market’s “Weimar phase” impact to your fiat and digital assets - Raymond_Matison
5. How to Profit from the Global Warming ClImate Change Mega Death Trend - Part1 - Nadeem_Walayat
7.Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast 2024 - - Nadeem_Walayat
8.The Bond Trade and Interest Rates - Nadeem_Walayat
9.It’s Easy to Scream Stocks Bubble! - Stephen_McBride
10.Fed’s Next Intertest Rate Move might not align with popular consensus - Richard_Mills
Last 7 days
Stock Market Brief in Count Down to US Election Result 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Gold Stocks’ Winter Rally 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Why Countdown to U.S. Recession is Underway - 3rd Nov 24
Stock Market Trend Forecast to Jan 2025 - 2nd Nov 24
President Donald PUMP Forecast to Win US Presidential Election 2024 - 1st Nov 24
At These Levels, Buying Silver Is Like Getting It At $5 In 2003 - 28th Oct 24
Nvidia Numero Uno Selling Shovels in the AI Gold Rush - 28th Oct 24
The Future of Online Casinos - 28th Oct 24
Panic in the Air As Stock Market Correction Delivers Deep Opps in AI Tech Stocks - 27th Oct 24
Stocks, Bitcoin, Crypto's Counting Down to President Donald Pump! - 27th Oct 24
UK Budget 2024 - What to do Before 30th Oct - Pensions and ISA's - 27th Oct 24
7 Days of Crypto Opportunities Starts NOW - 27th Oct 24
The Power Law in Venture Capital: How Visionary Investors Like Yuri Milner Have Shaped the Future - 27th Oct 24
This Points To Significantly Higher Silver Prices - 27th Oct 24
US House Prices Trend Forecast 2024 to 2026 - 11th Oct 24
US Housing Market Analysis - Immigration Drives House Prices Higher - 30th Sep 24
Stock Market October Correction - 30th Sep 24
The Folly of Tariffs and Trade Wars - 30th Sep 24
Gold: 5 principles to help you stay ahead of price turns - 30th Sep 24
The Everything Rally will Spark multi year Bull Market - 30th Sep 24
US FIXED MORTGAGES LIMITING SUPPLY - 23rd Sep 24
US Housing Market Free Equity - 23rd Sep 24
US Rate Cut FOMO In Stock Market Correction Window - 22nd Sep 24
US State Demographics - 22nd Sep 24
Gold and Silver Shine as the Fed Cuts Rates: What’s Next? - 22nd Sep 24
Stock Market Sentiment Speaks:Nothing Can Topple This Market - 22nd Sep 24
US Population Growth Rate - 17th Sep 24
Are Stocks Overheating? - 17th Sep 24
Sentiment Speaks: Silver Is At A Major Turning Point - 17th Sep 24
If The Stock Market Turn Quickly, How Bad Can Things Get? - 17th Sep 24
IMMIGRATION DRIVES HOUSE PRICES HIGHER - 12th Sep 24
Global Debt Bubble - 12th Sep 24
Gold’s Outlook CPI Data - 12th Sep 24

Market Oracle FREE Newsletter

How to Protect your Wealth by Investing in AI Tech Stocks

Agri-Food Funds Hit by Credit Crisis Hedge Fund Margin Calls

Commodities / Agricultural Commodities Jul 08, 2008 - 03:59 PM GMT

By: Ned_W_Schmidt

Commodities Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleVirulent fall of equity markets may have more to do with date of 30 June than temporarily high paper oil prices. Last day of June is associated with end of quarter financial statements. Around the world, financial institutions were preparing for and then creating balance sheets for that important date. Those financial institutions felt compelled by market forces to make their balance sheets look good. That desire translated into a continued reduction in available lending to funds of all kinds.


That date is also an opportunity for some investors to withdraw monies from hedge funds with performance problems. In short, a massive overt and covert “marginal call” has been in process, and its ramifications continue. If investors withdraw $100 million from a fund, that fund may, due to leverage, need to sell a multiple of that in equities. A fund leveraged 10:1 would have to sell a billion dollars of equities. That deleveraging has been across the board, and punished even winning sectors with sound fundamentals.

This week's chart is of Agri-Food Stock Index, green triangles, versus the S&P 500, solid black line, and both use left axis. First, Agri-Food Stocks have performed substantially better than equities in general. Second, the ongoing “margin call” has also had a dramatic impact on these stocks, as funds sold all stocks to raise money. Third, fundamentals for Agri-Food have not changed. Will the 2+ billion consumers in China and India continue to eat? Red bars, using right axis, compare current prices of Agri-Food stocks to valuations. When positive, those stocks are selling at a discount to valuations. As is apparent from chart, average discount on Agri-Food stocks has risen to highest level in more than a year. A remarkable opportunity to buy into one of the dominant investment themes of the coming decade may now exist.

With paper oil prices having peaked, now may be time for Agri-Food in your portfolio. Do not be mislead by statements suggesting that falling paper oil prices mean that all commodity related investments are therefore likely peaking also. Commodities is not a homogeneous asset class, and anyone commenting as if it were is under informed. Oil and Agri-Food are separate and distinct components of that asset class. Each is driven by a different set of fundamentals. Around the world, consumers are trying to reduce their use of oil. Around the world, consumers are trying to increase their use of Agri-Foods.

By Ned W Schmidt CFA, CEBS

Copyright © 2008 Ned W. Schmidt - All Rights Reserved

AGRI-FOOD THOUGHTS are from Ned W. Schmidt,CFA,CEBS, publisher of Agri-Food Value View , a monthly exploration of the Agri-Food grand cycle being created by China, India, and Eco-energy. To review the most recent issue go to http://home.att.net/~nwschmidt/READFOOD.html

Ned W Schmidt Archive

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


Post Comment

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in