CurrencyShares AUD Trust

• How to Play the End of the Commodity Super Cycle

  By Salvatore "Sam" Mattera - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: ABX, FXA, GLD, TD

  Since 2009, most commodities have been on a fairly strong, and sustained, run. But, in recent months, that trend has shown signs of reversing. Some prominent fund managers have called for the end of the great commodities “super cycle” -- if that’s truly the case, how should investors position themselves?

  The commodities super cycle

  Along with equities, commodity prices largely plummeted during the financial crisis, bottoming early in 2009. Then more »

• China’s Yuan Clearing Continues Building Without the Dollar

  By Peter Pham - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: FXA, VNM, CYB

  Yuan trade settlement scheme and the offshore Yuan market have expanded rapidly in recent years. Chinese authorities have sought to promote the international use of the Yuan in trade and investment. Yuan-denominated trade accounted for about 10% of China’s total foreign trade in July 2012. WisdomTree Chinese Yuan (NYSEMKT: CYB) tracks the changes in the Yuan/Dollar pair.

  Offshore Yuan deals can be cleared via two routes. Transaction goes more »

• Exxon Dives Into Australian Waters to Produce LNG

  By Peter Pham - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: BHP, LNG, FXA, XOM, RDS-A

  Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), the largest U.S. oil company, along with mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd.(NYSE: BHP), are in the planning phase for building the world’s largest floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant off the coast of Australia. It will be half a kilometer long and 75 meters wide. The new project also shows that despite some setbacks, Australia still continues to attract investments in its LNG more »

• What Can a Big Mac Tell You About Overvalued Currencies?

  By Pierre De Vitton - November 30, 2012 | Tickers: VOLVY, FXA, FXS, MCD, CROC

  Sometimes the best explanation to a complicated and seemingly mysterious phenomenon is the most simple one. This may very well sound like Philosophy 101, but it is a concept that can be used in many areas of life. I am going to heed my own advice and apply it to the Forex market in order to see which currencies are the world's most overvalued. To perform that task, I more »

• The End of the China Steel Trade

  By Peter Pham - September 7, 2012 | Tickers: BHP, VALE, FXA, FDX, GS

  Australia has been insulated from the woes that have plagued other developed economies, because the commodity boom in China masked any unsustainable domestic fiscal policies. Australian base commodity producers have been in the right place at the right time to feed the voracious appetite of a Chinese economy growing fat on the excesses of U.S. fiscal and monetary policy. However, these days are coming to an abrupt end, as more »

• Be Careful and Know What You're Buying

  By Matthew DiLallo - June 25, 2012 | Tickers: BRK-B, BRK-A, BHP, BBL, FXA, GOOG

  Last week I added BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP) to my “No Drip, No Mess” Portfolio and a commenter brought something to my attention that I wasn’t aware of. I thought that my research on the subject would be of value.  Unbeknownst to me despite personally holding shares of BHP for about five years was that their shares are dual listed and one of those listings trades at a more »

• Deja Vu 2008

  By Peter Pham - May 31, 2012 | Tickers: FXA, GCC, NES.DL, UUP, GLD

  If you live long enough you come to realize the wisdom in the statement that history doesn’t repeat but is certainly does rhyme.  The price action this spring is so reminiscent in feel to 2008 that waking up every morning feels like Groundhog Day. 

  In 2008 gold touched a high of $1033 per ounce the evening the news broke that JPMorgan had bought Bear Stearns for $10 per share more »

• Greece, Spain and Phantom Bank Runs

  By Peter Pham - May 27, 2012 | Tickers: AXP, FXA, V

  A lot has been made in the past few days about the amount of money being pulled from Greek and Spanish banks.  And, while, I agree the actions of people on the ground are significant from a sociological standpoint (i.e., faith in the monetary and political system in those countries is failing rapidly), I am not convinced in a modern setting that it will in the end be anything more »

• Gold Accumulation is Yielding Changes

  By Peter Pham - April 30, 2012 | Tickers: FXA, GLD

  In 2011 China imported, through Hong Kong, 428 tons of gold (proxied by the SPDR Gold Shares) (NYSEMKT: GLD).  The latest figures have that rate of accumulation in China increasing.  More than 79 tons through the end of February puts China on a path to acquire 479 tons in 2012. At that rate China will be the largest importer of gold in the world, over taking India, whose government, to more »