Barron's: Why Copper is Pointing to a Slow Economy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Dr. Copper is signaling that more danger is ahead.

Copper, which is consumed for a wide variety of uses including manufacturing and construction, is said to have a Ph.D. in economics because of its ability to forecast economic activity. Hence the Dr. Copper moniker.

When prices of the red metal drop it often presages slower economic activity and lower stock prices. Benchmark contracts for copper have tumbled from around $3.38 a pound at the beginning of the year to about $3.00 recently. But that's only part of the story. See original post here.

Barron's: Ukraine Farmers Stockpile Grain

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Here's something to chew on: Ukraine's farmers are using wheat and corn to hedge against the risk of a currency crisis. What's more, the uncertainty in Crimea has the potential to drive prices even higher in markets already worried about supplies from the major grain exporter. See original story here.

Photo by Igor Karimov on Unsplash