Why Own Commodities?
Commodities play a crucial role in both the global economy and in constructing a well-diversified portfolio. Commodity markets are generally large and liquid, and have grown substantially in recent decades. Commodities can play an important role in a portfolio by offering diversification and growth potential.
Access to Additional Markets
Commodity strategies offer access to very large markets that have grown significantly in recent decades. Historically, commodities have provided a potential hedge against inflation, and have been used as an investment to help participate in the global economy. As these markets fluctuate, a diversified commodities portfolio with the ability to go long or short can provide the potential for profits in both rising and falling commodity markets.

Diversification
Long/short commodity strategies have historically provided strong returns, and their performance has generally not moved in tandem with stocks or bonds. Adding investments such as long/short commodities, with a low correlation to other asset classes, provides the potential to reduce risk and improve returns in traditional investment portfolios.
Correlation | Long/Short Commodities | U.S. Stocks | Bonds |
---|
Long/Short Commodities | 1.00 | | |
U.S. Stocks | 0.24 | 1.00 | |
Bonds | -0.01 | 0.19 | 1.00 |
Source: LoCorr Fund Management.
Past Performance is not a guarantee of future results. The referenced indices are shown for general market comparisons and are not meant to represent the Fund. Long/Short Commodities represented by HFRI Macro Commodity Index. U.S. Stock represented by S&P 500. Bonds represented by Bloomberg US Agg Bond.
Potential to Enhance Returns
While commodities can be an important asset class in a well-diversified portfolio, historically, the majority of commodity investments have been long-only. Long-only commodity investments can be highly volatile and subject to significant drawdowns when prices decline, as seen in the graph below. Adding long/short commodities to a portfolio provides the potential to generate higher returns, lower risk, and achieve better capital preservation than long-only commodities.
Growth of Investment
Growth of a Hypothetical $1,000 investment on January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2022

| Average Annual Return | Volatility | Max Drawdown |
---|
Long/Short Commodities | 4.27% | 5.73% | -12.96% |
Long-Only Commodities | -4.93% | 24.02% | -87.22% |
Index Returns | 1 Year | 5 Years | 10 Years |
---|
HFRI Macro Commodity Index | 14.95% | 9.05% | 4.48% |
S&P 500 Index | -18.11% | 9.42% | 12.56% |
BBg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | -13.01% | 0.02% | 1.06% |
S&P GSCI Commodity Index | 25.99% | 6.46% | -3.30% |
Learn more about Long/Short Equity >