Investors get real

With financial markets continuing to falter, investors are piling into gold, oil and other commodities. Naomi Humphries looks at how dealers are meeting demand

Equity traders must be turning green as they see their one-time investor clients bypass them in favour of their commodity derivatives colleagues for trade ideas. And it’s not just sophisticated investors – Main Street is in on the act too. While many hedge funds struggled to achieve positive returns last year, Oppenheimer Real Asset fund posted gains of more than 27%. Launched in May 1999, the New York-based mutual fund speculates in oil, and dabbles with metals, cattle, hogs and orange juice.

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