Palladium raced ahead of all other metals in April. After climbing double digits in the first quarter, platinum and silver futures were down 4 and 5 percent, respectively. Both metals lost ground for the second consecutive month. Copper prices were flat, and gold seems to have lost its luster, posting its third straight monthly decline.
In targeting the most promising subsectors or individual commodities, consider platinum, palladium, copper and corn.
The dollar is rising and gold has been gaining too. What's going on? The greenback and gold are usually inversely correlated, so when the dollar goes up, gold goes down and vice versa. But not today—and that highlights the gravity of sovereign debt concerns and worries about the value global currencies, not just the greenback.
With silver prices tumbling for a third straight session, traders are questioning if its record-breaking rally in recent months is finally over.