5 ETFs to Profit From Higher Food Prices
As economies across the world recover strongly from the COVID-19 lows on wider reach of vaccines and rollback of pandemic-related measures, rising food prices have become a major concern. This is especially true as world food prices in May rose at their fastest monthly rate in more than a decade.
The Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index, which measures monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, hit the highest level since September 2011 and represented the 12th consecutive monthly increase. The cereal price index rose 6% in May month-on-month led by maize price surge while vegetable oil price index jumped 7.8% driven by rising palm, soy and rapeseed oil quotations (read: Commodity Prices on an Unstoppable Rally: ETFs to Benefit).
The sugar index increased 6.8% largely due to harvest delays and concerns over reduced crop yields in Brazil, the world's largest sugar exporter. The meat index rose 2.2% with quotations for all meat types buoyed by a faster pace of import purchases by east Asian countries, mainly China. Dairy prices grew 1.8% on a monthly basis buoyed by solid import demand for skimmed and whole milk powders.
Given this, investors could easily make some profit from surging food prices through a number of ETFs or ETNs with lower risk. Any of these products could make for a good choice if the current trends continue given that these have a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold).
Invesco DB Agriculture Fund DBA
This ETF tracks the DBIQ Diversified Agriculture Index Excess Return, which is a rules-based index composed of futures contracts on some of the most liquid and widely traded agricultural commodities. It has key holdings in corn, soybeans, sugar, coffee, wheat and lean hogs with double-digit exposure each. The fund charges 94 bps in annual basis and trades in volume of 1.4 million shares a day. It has amassed $995.1 million in its asset base.
Teucrium Agricultural Fund TAGS
This product provides investors an easy way to gain exposure to the price of corn, wheat, soybeans, and sugar futures in a brokerage account. With AUM of 9.8 million, it charges 18 bps in annual fees and trades in average daily volume of 12,000 shares (read: 5 ETFs at The Heart of the Commodity Comeback This Year).
iPath Bloomberg Livestock Subindex Total Return COW
This ETN offers exposure to the Bloomberg Livestock Subindex Total Return, which consists of two livestock commodities futures contracts (lean hogs and live cattle). It has accumulated $24.8 million in its asset base and charges 94 bps in annual fees. The note trades in average daily volume of 15,000 shares.
Teucrium Sugar Fund CANE
This fund provides investors an easy way to gain exposure to the price of sugar futures in a brokerage account. It has 1.88% in expense ratio and $21.4 million in AUM. CANE trades in average daily volume of 91,000 shares.
Invesco Dynamic Food & Beverage ETF PBJ
Investors who believe that costs can easily be passed on to end users, and seek a concentrated play on the food and beverage segment of the equity world, PBJ could be an interesting pick. This product offers exposure to 32 stocks that are engaged in the manufacture, sale or distribution of food and beverage products, agricultural products, and products related to the development of new food technologies by tracking the Dynamic Food & Beverage Intellidex Index. With AUM of $123.6 million, the fund charges 63 bps in annual fees from investors and sees a light average daily volume of 19,000 shares (read: Play Reopening -- Friendly ETFs Ahead of Memorial Day).
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INVS-DB AGRIC (DBA): ETF Research Reports
INVS-DYN FD&BV (PBJ): ETF Research Reports
TEUCRM-SUGAR FD (CANE): ETF Research Reports
TEUCRIUM AGRICL (TAGS): ETF Research Reports
IPATHBB-LVSTK (COW): ETF Research Reports
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