IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/irvfin/v22y2022i4p637-661.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial investments and commodity prices

Author

Listed:
  • Peng Liu
  • Zhigang Qiu
  • David Xiaoyu Xu

Abstract

In this paper, we show that financial investments dilute the relationship between convenience yields (a proxy for fundamentals) and commodity prices. On average, the explanatory power of convenience yields on the movements of commodity prices decreased from 63% to 33% after 2004, when institutional investors rapidly started building their positions in commodity futures. We develop a model of the commodity market with financial investments and test the model predictions using futures prices of 21 US‐traded commodities and index traders' positions on 12 agricultural commodities. Because of correlated financial demands for different commodity futures, we identify comovements in spot prices for fundamentally independent commodities.

Suggested Citation

  • Peng Liu & Zhigang Qiu & David Xiaoyu Xu, 2022. "Financial investments and commodity prices," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 22(4), pages 637-661, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:irvfin:v:22:y:2022:i:4:p:637-661
    DOI: 10.1111/irfi.12361
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/irfi.12361
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/irfi.12361?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Itay Goldstein & Yan Li & Liyan Yang, 2014. "Speculation and Hedging in Segmented Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(3), pages 881-922.
    2. James D. Hamilton, 2009. "Causes and Consequences of the Oil Shock of 2007-08," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 40(1 (Spring), pages 215-283.
    3. Hirshleifer, David, 1990. "Hedging Pressure and Futures Price Movements in a General Equilibrium Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(2), pages 411-428, March.
    4. Bryan R. Routledge & Duane J. Seppi & Chester S. Spatt, 2000. "Equilibrium Forward Curves for Commodities," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(3), pages 1297-1338, June.
    5. Breeden, Douglas T., 1984. "Futures markets and commodity options: Hedging and optimality in incomplete markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 275-300, April.
    6. Robert S. Pindyck, 2001. "The Dynamics of Commodity Spot and Futures Markets: A Primer," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 1-30.
    7. Campbell, John Y & Shiller, Robert J, 1987. "Cointegration and Tests of Present Value Models," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(5), pages 1062-1088, October.
    8. Bewley, R. A., 1979. "The direct estimation of the equilibrium response in a linear dynamic model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 357-361.
    9. Johansen, Soren, 1991. "Estimation and Hypothesis Testing of Cointegration Vectors in Gaussian Vector Autoregressive Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(6), pages 1551-1580, November.
    10. Suleyman Basak & Anna Pavlova, 2016. "A Model of Financialization of Commodities," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 71(4), pages 1511-1556, August.
    11. Nicolae Garleanu & Lasse Heje Pedersen & Allen M. Poteshman, 2009. "Demand-Based Option Pricing," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(10), pages 4259-4299, October.
    12. Lester G. Telser, 1958. "Futures Trading and the Storage of Cotton and Wheat," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(3), pages 233-233.
    13. Paul Berhanu Girma & Albert S. Paulson, 1999. "Risk arbitrage opportunities in petroleum futures spreads," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(8), pages 931-955, December.
    14. Pindyck, Robert S, 1993. "The Present Value Model of Rational Commodity Pricing," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 103(418), pages 511-530, May.
    15. David Hirshleifer, 1988. "Residual Risk, Trading Costs, and Commodity Futures Risk Premia," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 1(2), pages 173-193.
    16. Gibson, Rajna & Schwartz, Eduardo S, 1990. "Stochastic Convenience Yield and the Pricing of Oil Contingent Claims," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(3), pages 959-976, July.
    17. Ng, Victor K. & Pirrong, Stephen Craig, 1996. "Price dynamics in refined petroleum spot and futures markets," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 359-388, February.
    18. Richter, Martin & Sørensen, Carsten, 2002. "Stochastic Volatility and Seasonality in Commodity Futures and Options: The Case of Soybeans," Working Papers 2002-4, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Finance.
    19. Michael Sockin & Wei Xiong, 2015. "Informational Frictions and Commodity Markets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(5), pages 2063-2098, October.
    20. Bessembinder, Hendrik, 1992. "Systematic Risk, Hedging Pressure, and Risk Premiums in Futures Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 5(4), pages 637-667.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ing-Haw Cheng & Wei Xiong, 2014. "Financialization of Commodity Markets," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 419-441, December.
    2. Longstaff, Francis & Wang, Ashley, 2002. "Electricity Forward Prices: A High-Frequency Empirical Analysis," University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson Graduate School of Management qt7mh2m2bt, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA.
    3. Longstaff, Francis A & Wang, Ashley, 2002. "ELECTRICITY FORWARD PRICES: A High-Frequency Empirical Analysis," University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson Graduate School of Management qt3mw4q41x, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA.
    4. Sung Je Byun, 2017. "Speculation in Commodity Futures Markets, Inventories and the Price of Crude Oil," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 5).
    5. Jaime Casassus & Peng Liu & Ke Tang, 2011. "Relative Scarcity of Commodities with a Long-Term Economic Relationship and the Correlation of Futures Returns," Documentos de Trabajo 404, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    6. Yao, Wei & Alexiou, Constantinos, 2024. "On the transmission mechanism between the inventory arbitrage activity, speculative activity and the commodity price under the US QE policy: Evidence from a TVP-VAR model," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 1054-1072.
    7. Jonathan Kearns, 2007. "Commodity Currencies: Why Are Exchange Rate Futures Biased if Commodity Futures Are Not?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 83(260), pages 60-73, March.
    8. Mohammad Isleimeyyeh, 2020. "The role of financial investors in determining the commodity futures risk premium," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(9), pages 1375-1397, September.
    9. Casassus, Jaime & Collin-Dufresne, Pierre & Routledge, Bryan R., 2018. "Equilibrium commodity prices with irreversible investment and non-linear technologies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 128-147.
    10. Jo, Yonghwan & Kim, Jihee & Santos, Francisco, 2022. "The impact of liquidity risk in the Chinese banking system on the global commodity markets," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 23-50.
    11. Wu, Nan & Wen, Fenghua & Gong, Xu, 2022. "Marionettes behind co-movement of commodity prices: Roles of speculative and hedging activities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    12. van Huellen, Sophie, 2020. "Too much of a good thing? Speculative effects on commodity futures curves," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    13. Dempster, M.A.H. & Medova, Elena & Tang, Ke, 2008. "Long term spread option valuation and hedging," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 2530-2540, December.
    14. Itay Goldstein & Liyan Yang, 2022. "Commodity Financialization and Information Transmission," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(5), pages 2613-2667, October.
    15. Ready, Robert C., 2018. "Oil consumption, economic growth, and oil futures: The impact of long-run oil supply uncertainty on asset prices," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1-26.
    16. Steven D. Baker, 2021. "The Financialization of Storable Commodities," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 471-499, January.
    17. Loïc Maréchal, 2023. "A tale of two premiums revisited," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(5), pages 580-614, May.
    18. Sumudu W. Watugala, 2019. "Economic uncertainty, trading activity, and commodity futures volatility," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(8), pages 921-945, August.
    19. Ames, Matthew & Bagnarosa, Guillaume & Matsui, Tomoko & Peters, Gareth W. & Shevchenko, Pavel V., 2020. "Which risk factors drive oil futures price curves?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    20. Auer, Benjamin R., 2015. "Does the choice of performance measure influence the evaluation of commodity investments?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 142-150.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:irvfin:v:22:y:2022:i:4:p:637-661. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1369-412X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.