Copper is a commodity that performs per the fluctuations of the market. Prices of this industrial metal rise and fall with economic cycles. The past year has been unique as the Corona Virus has directly affected construction negatively. There are certain sectors of the economy that are beginning to open up with the "new normal" for the world. This change allows for an increase in social interaction in which business activity increases. Copper prices are driven by supply and demand. The recent lull in the activity of industries using copper has created a period of lower demand, but things are changing. Copper exchange-traded funds track prices of the widely used industrial metal. It represents a more stable investment strategy within the copper market. Although there are several strategies for investing in copper, ETFs offer a bit less volatility than the more direct stock investments. Here are 5 copper ETFs to consider for diversifying your portfolio.
5. the United States Copper Fund Index (CPER)
The United States Copper Index Fund is a private commodity pool investment design. Investor contributions are utilized for trading commodity futures contracts with a focus on maximizing profits through leveraged trading. It tracks the SummerHaven Copper Index Total Return, reflecting performance from its copper futures portfolio. The futures contracts are backed by US treasury bills with three-month durations. The contracts maintain exclusivity in copper futures. The USCF is the issuing company formed on November 15, 2011, with $36.6 million in assets under its management and an 11.6% 1-year trailing total returns, according to Investopedia. It's ranked as one of the top-performing copper ETFs with a pure focus that excludes the combination of other commodity interests.
4. Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX)
COPX operates as a replication of the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, made up of common stocks, GDRs, and ADRs of some global companies within the mining industry of the copper market. The approach that this ETF takes is equity-based in exposure to copper. This fund makes investments in copper mining entities with exclusivity in copper that offers a narrower portfolio that is-copper-centric according to the ETF Database. The COPX ETF has an AUM of $93.6 million. The fee charged is 65 basis points annually. The trading volume is approximately 64,000 shares heralding a 19.2% return in 12 months. It provides investors exposure to copper mining companies and is useful for portfolio diversification without the broad approach of including other commodities interests.
3. First Trust Global Copper Index (CU)
CU invests in the stocks of businesses that are active within the copper mining industry. This strategy is an indirect approach to copper investment. The underlying securities of CU are composed of companies that are not only involved in copper. Other metals also for a more diverse and broad portfolio approach. The attractiveness of CU is that it takes an equity approach that adds exposure to copper without the negative associations of future based strategies. The spot price of metals correlates strongly to the profitability of the included firms that are dependant on copper prices. The weighting methods for fund distribution are linear and based on the revenue exposure to copper production of each security. Commodities within the CU scope include copper, silver, gold, and other metals.
2. iPath Dow Jones-UBS Total Return ETN (JJC)
JJC is the market's oldest copper exchange-traded product. It is an ETN that exists on futures-based strategies with potential credit risks. It links directly to the Dow Jones UBS Commodity Subindex Total Return. The JJC is an index made up of a single copper-centric futures contract. The strategy of this ETN by design exposes investors to changes that occur in the spot price of copper. It also includes the slope of the futures curve. It is an alternative means of tapping into the realm of copper futures contracts.
1. iPath Series B Bloomberg Copper Subindex Total Return ETN (JJCB)
According to Nasdaq.com, Barclays Capital established the JJCB ETN in January of 2018. The focus of this ETN is to provide exposure to the copper futures price. It joined the industrial metal ETFs at a time when copper prices rallied to record-breaking highs. The driers for the demand of copper have spurred strong global economic growth in this sector, before Covid 19 restrictions. Copper is a metal that is useful in multiple industries within construction and manufacturing. Strong copper markets exist in sync with economic growth. The fund accomplishes two purposes. The first is to provide investors with exposure to copper prices. The second is to take an index of one copper futures contract at a time. The AUM achieved a figure of $10.1 million in just a few days of trading and the fee charged is 45 basis points a year, beating the fees charged by COPX.
Final thoughts
Any investment involves a risk of loss. The copper market is a commodity recommended for portfolio diversification. Taking the ETF/ETN strategy into account allows for more rapid movement of funds, depending on the stipulations of the agreement. Some ETFs assign new contracts every month. Some others renew or invest in other copper futures contracts on a 3-month basis. While copper futures is a volatile market, there is always an opportunity for investments to show a high yield. It's wise to consider which aspect of the copper industry a particular ETF invests in when making the decision about which to include in your investment portfolio. Some are copper-centric, while others take a broader approach to include companies that are involved with copper and other metals for further diversification. Most offer reliable snapshots of performance concerning the spot prices of metals, which are determined daily. You get a more precise determination of the copper price at any given time. We chose the five ETFs above in accordance with those that analysts give the highest marks for profitability.
