Sep 20, 2010
Q&A
How can investors achieve exposure to commodities by investing in stocks?

EFF/KRF: Many companies have long positions in commodities and gain when commodity prices rise. Energy companies, for example, have reserves of oil, gas, and coal, and profit when energy prices rise. Other companies, such as airlines, buy commodities and suffer when prices rise. 

Conceptually, investors can manage their exposure to commodity prices by increasing or reducing their ownership of firms that are positively or negatively exposed to commodity prices. This is probably not, however, an efficient way to manage commodity exposure. Few firms' fortunes are driven solely or even predominantly by commodity prices. Oil refiners and airlines, for example, are both affected by labor costs, regulations, taxes, economic conditions, and many other factors. An investor who adjusts his exposure to oil by increasing his allocation to either oil refiners or airlines also changes his exposure to all these other factors.

 
ABOUT FAMA AND FRENCH
Eugene F. Fama
The Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Kenneth R. French
The Roth Family Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
This information is distributed for educational purposes and should not be considered investment advice or an offer of any security for sale. This article contains the opinions of the author but not necessarily Dimensional Fund Advisors and does not represent a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Dimensional Fund Advisors is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future results and no representation is made that the stated results will be replicated.

Eugene Fama and Ken French are members of the Board of Directors of the general partner of, and provide consulting services to Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.