Commodity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide exposure to metals, energy, and agricultural products without the hassle of direct ownership. While gold and silver can be stored, commodities like oil, natural gas, and wheat are harder to hold physically, making ETFs a practical alternative.
These funds offer diversification thanks to their low correlation with stocks and bonds and can act as a hedge against inflation, since commodities often rise in value when prices increase. They're also fairly volatile, influenced by supply and demand, geopolitical events, and economic conditions.
Top commodities ETFs to consider
For this list, we screened for ETFs that provide exposure to a range of commodities rather than a single asset like gold or oil. We also prioritized funds that don't require a K-1 tax form, which is commonly issued by partnership-structured ETFs and can complicate tax filing compared to a standard 1099.
2. Direxion Auspice Broad Commodity Strategy ETF (COM)
Commodities are known for their volatility, with prices often making sharp moves up or down and staying there for extended periods. This makes commodity markets highly cyclical, where long periods of growth can be followed by sudden downturns, creating challenges for buy-and-hold investors.
The Direxion Auspice Broad Commodity Strategy ETF (COM +1.79%) is designed to manage this volatility by tracking 12 key commodities across agriculture, energy, and metals. The fund holds corn, cotton, soybeans, sugar, wheat, crude light, heating oil, natural gas, RBOB gasoline, gold, copper, silver.
What makes this Direxion fund different from most commodity ETFs is that it’s not restricted to a long-only strategy. If the trend turn unfavorable, the fund can go flat by holding Treasury bills instead of staying invested in declining commodity futures. This dynamic approach aims to improve risk-adjusted returns by reducing drawdowns during commodity downturns.
With a 0.70% expense ratio, this ETF is slightly more expensive than some peers, but its strategy has delivered strong performance, with a 10.81% annualized return over the past five years.
4. abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR)
The abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR +1.64%) is the only non-futures-based commodity ETF on this list. It physically holds gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion rather than using derivative contracts.
While gold and silver are well-known for their use in jewelry and investment, platinum and palladium have key roles in industrial applications, particularly in automotive catalytic converters, electronics, and even medical equipment.
This ETF's holdings are stored in London, with vault inspections conducted twice per year by Inspectorate International. The metals are allocated, meaning each bar is specifically assigned to the fund, and they meet the strict Good Delivery standards set by the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM) and the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), ensuring their authenticity and quality.
With a 0.60% expense ratio, this fund is a cost-effective way to gain diversified exposure to precious metals. It also has no distributions, making it more tax-efficient than commodity ETFs that pay out gains annually.
Should you invest in commodities ETFs?
There are two primary ways to use commodity ETFs. The first is as a trading tool, actively speculating on price movements. This requires daily monitoring and a strong understanding of commodity cycles, as prices can be highly volatile.
The second is for diversification, typically a roughly 20% allocation that is rebalanced periodically. Because commodities have low correlation to stocks and bonds, they can help stabilize a portfolio during inflationary periods or market downturns. In 2022, for example, commodities rallied while both stocks and bonds declined.
The main risks are volatility in both directions and tax inefficiency. Many commodity ETFs rely on futures contracts that generate large end-of-year capital gains distributions, which can be a drag for investors in taxable accounts.
For those who understand the risks and market drivers, commodity ETFs can be a useful portfolio tool, but they warrant careful consideration before investing.
