Economics

Commodities' Record Run Hands Investors Second Win, by a Whisker

Bloomberg Commodity Index closes year higher as dollar slides
Major constituents of gold, copper and oil saw closing rallies

An autonomous haul truck drives through a pit at Rio Tinto Group's West Angelas iron ore mine in Pilbara, Australia, on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. Rio Tinto Group, the world's second-biggest iron ore exporter, will spend $518 million on the first driverless long-distance trains to haul the commodity from its Western Australia mines to ports, boosting efficiency.Photographer: Ian Waldie

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By Eddie van der Walt

January 2, 2018 at 1:23 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Well, that was close. Returns on commodities only just avoided closing 2017 lower.

The Bloomberg Commodity Index, which tracks returns on 22 raw materials, posted a record 12 straight days of gains to close the year 0.8 percent higher. On Dec. 27, with just two trading days left in the year, the measure was still flashing red.