These are turbulent times for commodity traders. After Monday’s record surge, crude oil prices are edging back towards the $100-a-barrel mark again. Andrew Snyder says these wild gyrations provide great short-term profit opportunities for fast-moving investors. This mainly applies to small-cap stocks. Andrew says the market gloom has created bargains across all sectors for those who do their homework…

As the financial sector continues to roil with uncertainty and unease, Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:AIG) in the

China and Iraq will sign a deal next week to develop the Ahdab oil field, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad. The move comes at time when political gridlock and security concerns have cast doubt over several pending short-term contracts, says Jason Simpkins in Money Morning.

Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO), the largest independent refiner in the U.S. market, is a well-known and avidly traded name. Despite being a member of the super hot energy sector, Valero has seen its stock price collapse from its 52-week high of $75.75 to Friday’s close at $34.72 (a 54% decline).

You certainly know that energy prices have gone up this year. In particular, the price of oil has risen. And energy price increases have played havoc with Western economies.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his fellow central bank policymakers will be back in the spotlight this week as the group convenes for its monthly monetary-policy meeting.

Big Media are ignoring the real problems in the oil market, says energy expert Dave Gonigam in The Daily Reckoning.

A hectic week on the economic calendar is highlighted by the initial look at second quarter gross domestic product (GDP). Remember, a recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, so doomsayers have targeted this week’s release as confirmation of their pessimism.

Volkswagen AG (PINK: VLKAF), PSA Peugeot Citroen SA (OTC ADR: PEUGY), and Fiat SPA (OTC ADR: FIATY) beat earnings estimates in the last week. At the same time, however, Ford Motor Co. (F), one of the largest industrial companies in America, missed earnings estimates. By a lot.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) – the No. 2 U.S. oil company and the most-recent topic of Money Morning’s new “Buy, Sell or Hold” feature – said that a hurricane-induced evacuation of its personnel from the Gulf of Mexico should not hamper production.