If you know how to play the volatile nature of the commodity sector, this article is not for you. Lee Lowell of the Smart Profits Report gives three reasons why commodity investing has changed for the better, and how to profit from them.

This from Lee:

In this globalized world, it’s no surprise to see the world’s financial markets intertwine in some fashion. That’s why we continue to see volatility run at much higher levels – be it in the stock market or commodities sector.

In the past, the physical and agricultural commodities have typically had very loose ties to the movement of the stock market. After all, why would the falling share price of Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) have anything to do with the price of corn or sugar? Ordinarily, no reason at all – but it’s not as simple as that any more…

A Changing Commodities World

The commodities world has changed in recent years – and if you know how to play volatility to your advantage, it’s changed for the better. Here are just three quick reasons why…

1. Instead of farmers merely using the commodities markets to hedge their crop, commodities have become more of a speculative game today.
2. It’s become very easy to trade commodities with a click of a mouse today.
3. Commodities are now seen as a viable and valuable portion of investment portfolios.

As a result of these three reasons, commodities are more subject to large money flows into and out of markets. With more individuals holding more commodities, they can sell off just like any other asset. And this can occur at the same time and with the same force as it does in the stock market.

In particularly volatile, and often irrational, markets like the current one, once the herd mentality takes over, the true fundamental value of crops can get unceremoniously shoved to the back burner in favor of what the crowd is doing.

In any event, the markets seem to have decided which direction they’re going to head in: Down…

Remarkable Value Amid The Market’s Rubble

Speaking of that irrationality I just noted, that’s pretty much the only way to sum up the price of numerous top-quality blue-chip stocks today. Many are trading at 15-year lows, with some even under $10.

But while this may cause some investors to throw a big pity party, if you believe in the long-term viability of the markets, putting some of your money to work today while everyone else is selling, it could present one of the greatest buying opportunities in a lifetime.

As for commodities, they will continue to trade on long-term fundamentals such as crop-growing cycles, weather patterns, herd size, supply and demand, etc. And there are some terrific opportunities here, too. So let’s get to it…

OPEC’s Winter Move Might Not Play Out Till Summer

In July 2008, the oil market began a downtrend that is still going strong today. The black stuff continues to make new lows, interspersed with quick bouts of short-lived upside rallies.

But once the price hits the descending moving averages (see chart below), the market gets knocked down again.  The combination of large oil supplies and waning worldwide demand has kept oil on the defensive, with $25 a barrel still in many analysts’ sights.

Three months on from OPEC’s supply cuts, we’re still waiting for the decision to factor into the market. At the moment, the farther-dated oil futures contracts are still moving lower in tandem with the front-month futures contracts.

I don’t think we’ll see the cuts make a dent in the market until at least June, so it looks like status quo for oil for the time being.

Two Ways To Play Our Bullish Outlook On Natural Gas

In a word… bullish.

That’s my take on the natural gas market, as the front-month futures contract has dipped below the pivotal long-term support area of $4.500 per MMBtu – a solid support level since late 2002.

At current levels, I continue to have a long-term bullish outlook. So how can you play the market?

1. Bullish trades involving long-dated, limited-risk options strategies (like option credit spreads) on natural gas futures options contracts, which trade on the NYMEX.
2. Invest in the Natural Gas exchange traded fund UNG that trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

I currently hold bullish natural gas positions in my Instant Money Trader and Triple Zone Profit Trader service that we run.

Knowing how the market can react to the upside with the threat of cold winters in the Northeast (where a majority of natural gas is consumed) and possible damaging hurricane activity on natural gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, I feel bullish plays here have a great risk/reward profile.

When You See The Dip… Buy

Amid all the financial market’s doom and gloom, one of the lone bright spots comes from a sector that we’ve mentioned as a pocket of strength for several weeks here.

It is, of course, the metals market – home to stalwarts like gold and silver.

Since December 2008, both have bounded along and made large upside moves. April gold futures have now crossed the watershed $1,000 per ounce mark – an area not seen since July 2008 – while May 2009 silver futures have managed to pop through $14.50 an ounce – silver’s first foray to that level since August 2008.

In mid-December, we noted that the gold and silver markets were beginning to look tradable again after washing out the speculative selling that had knocked the sector down from its all-time highs in July 2008.

With more “rational” investing now in these markets, and with global stock markets and economies still in turmoil, it continues to keep hard assets like gold and silver as the “go-to,” en vogue safe haven play.

Since we’ve already reached our near-term gold price forecast from the my previous column, plus our silver price outlook, too, we now believe that investors should step into bullish plays on large pullbacks in the gold and silver markets. It’s a strategy that should serve you well for the rest of 2009.

Look for gold to re-test the $865 area, while silver should re-test the $12.00 per ounce level.

And the way to play it…?

Other than looking at limited-risk option strategies from the COMEX futures options market, you can invest in the gold and silver markets through shares in ETFs like the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSE: GDX), or iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV). You can also play options on these ETFs.

Drifting Below Support… And Creating Better Value

Having touched support levels that we thought would hold, the coffee and cotton markets have continued to drift lower. This will create an even better level to go long from and we’re just waiting for both markets to find a level that sticks.

With A Big Move Back Down, OJ Is Setting Up A Great Potential Entry Point

Lastly, I want to show you a long-term chart for orange juice futures.

This is another market we’ll be watching closely, as it’s now just about retraced the big upside move it made since the wave of hurricanes hit the Southeastern portion of the United States, beginning in 2004.

Each year, during late spring/early summer, the OJ speculators come out of the woodwork, trying to capitalize on potential disaster trades.

If OJ futures can re-touch the lows of 2004, it could be a great place to put in a low-risk bullish trade that aims to take advantage of any disruptions to the orange juice crop from this season’s hurricanes.

Lee Lowell

Source: Investing in Commodities: 3 Reasons Why Commodities Have Changed