What We're Reading ~ 5/13/15

An interesting look at investing in and doing business in China [Tim Clissold]

Michael Mauboussin on intuition and making better decisions [Farnam Street]

12 things learned about investing from Julian Robertson [25iq]

China oil imports surpass US [FT]

Debt builds in China stock rally [WSJ]

6 takeaways from the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting [Clear Eyes Investing]

A history of bond market corrections [Wealth of Common Sense]

The billionaire banker ready to bet on oil [Forbes]

On behavioral economics [Economist]

Will Bill Ackman resurrect the ghost of Howard Hughes? [Forbes]

A study on self-driving cars and their impact [Columbia]

The dreaded bundle comes to internet TV [New Yorker]

Venture capital: a profile of Marc Andreessen [New Yorker]

Strategist Saut: Accumulate Stocks With Favorable Risk/Reward

Raymond James market strategist Jeff Saut is out with his latest weekly missive and it's quite clear he's bullish in the intermediate term. However, he does think a consolidation could still happen in the near-term.

In particular, Saut points to oil:

"Indeed, over the past few weeks oil has become almost as extended above its 200 day moving average as it was in July 2008, and we all know how that ended. Not that I am predicting a similar collapse in the price of Texas Tea, but rather that a consolidation/pullback period is likely, which could provide the backdrop for another 'leg up' in stocks (even the energy stocks)."

Overall, Saut thinks any pullback in the S&P 500 will be around the 1315-1320 area. Saut was buying stocks during the February/March decline and it seems he has a 'buy the dips' mentality.

So what stocks does he like? Saut prefers favorable risk/reward setups and offers up Hospira (HSP) as a name with a lowered risk profile. He also continues to like Williams Companies (WMB). We just noted that Dan Loeb's hedge fund Third Point LLC likes WMB as well. You can read an in-depth analysis of Williams Companies in the most recent issue of our newsletter.

In other energy names, the market strategist also likes EV Energy Partners (EVEP), LINN Energy (LINE), and Clayton Williams Energy (CWEI).

Embedded below is Jeff Saut's latest market commentary:

Jeff-Saut-Market-Commentary


You can download a .pdf copy here.

For more insight from market strategists, head to our recent coverage of Don Coxe, who says the risk of a stagflationary bond bear has arrived.

Best Investments During Inflation

So, what is the best investment during inflation? The good news is that there are a multitude of securities and assets that can protect against inflationary pressure. The bad news is if such a scenario comes to fruition, your purchasing power is reduced. The main thing to keep an eye on is the money supply. Throughout the crisis, the monetary base has expanded, but has yet to materialize in the money supply. If/when this comes to fruition, you'll be prepared after learning how to invest for inflation below.

Interestingly enough, deflation has been the top concern amongst investors as of late and yesterday we detailed the best investments during deflation. But investors have quickly forgotten that inflation was the primary concern just a mere few months ago. This revisits a post we originally published in August 2008 examining investment scenarios for inflation versus deflation. Regardless of outcome, investors need to be prepared for either.

Why should you be worried about inflation? Well, how about because one of the greatest investors of this generation is concerned. Yup, Baupost Group's Seth Klarman is worried about inflation. Not to mention, Kyle Bass, the hedge fund manager who predicted the subprime crisis as well as sovereign defaults has voiced concern about inflation and significant currency devaluation around the globe. For every prominent investor worried about deflation, there is another concerned with the converse scenario.

Here are the best investments during inflation:

Avoid Cash/US Dollars: Inflation typically results in domestic currency devaluing. You can fight this by simply not holding it and allocating the capital into other assets and investments. Nowadays, cash is most certainly part of the asset allocation picture. During inflation, you want to have as little of it on hand if possible. Since it devalues during inflation, those of you wishing to press your bets against the US dollar can buy the PowerShares Bearish US dollar index fund (UDN).


Buy Gold & Precious Metals: If you'll think back toward the end of the crisis, gold was all the rage. As the Federal Reserve's printing presses worked overtime to churn out US dollars to resuscitate the economy, many became very worried about inflation. Their number one investment to protect against this? Gold. While precious metals in general are a solid bet, gold in particular is seen as a hedge against uncertainty and a store of value. For an in-depth thesis as to why you should buy gold during inflation, we turn you to out post on successful hedge fund manager John Paulson's gold fund. He launched this vehicle last year as a means of betting against the US dollar. Another option is the stocks of companies that mine the metal. One hedge fund recently opined that gold is good, but gold mining stocks are better.

We've detailed how countless other prominent investment managers favor yellow bricks. John Burbank's Passport Capital outlined the rationale for owning physical gold. David Einhorn's hedge fund Greenlight Capital also owns physical gold. Those of you who don't have access to physical bars can invest via the SPDR Gold Fund (GLD). Practically all of the hedge funds that are not investing in physical gold use this investment vehicle for their gold exposure. If gold doesn't tickle your fancy, legendary investor Jim Rogers sees opportunity in silver and palladium which can provide you with precious metals exposure. PALL is the ticker for playing palladium while SLV is a way to play silver.


Buy Crude Oil: Going long oil ties into the whole 'buy commodities' theme as protection. In a truly inflationary environment, oil is supply inelastic; any increase or decrease in price would not result in a corresponding increase or decrease in supply. In the past we've outlined how to invest in crude oil, as there are many investment vehicles out there, each with pros and cons. These funds include USO, DBO, & USL and are examined in-depth via the link above.


Short Fixed Income: Bonds should be avoided due to a weak domestic monetary system. In particular, avoid US Treasuries as they will underperform. As yields start to rise, bond prices will fall. A plethora of prominent investors have gone this route in order to gain inflationary protection. Seth Klarman has purchased out of the money puts on bonds. He's acquired tail risk insurance against a sharp rise in interest rates that protects him should rates skyrocket to 10%. Legendary hedge fund manager Julian Robertson had previously put on a curve steepener trade and then shifted to a constant maturity swap (CMS) trade. These are more advanced trades and typically are reserved for institutional investors. Retail investors can buy puts on or short the iShares 20+ Year Treasury (TLT).


Buy Emerging Markets: A weak domestic currency (US dollar) implies higher returns can be found abroad in other countries. A monetary system in trouble in the home land means your dollars should be invested abroad (especially consider commodity producing nations such as Australia and Brazil). You can invest in either emerging market currencies, equities abroad, or investment funds denominated in those foreign currencies. For broad emerging market equities exposure, one can purchase iShares Emerging Markets Index (EEM). For the Australian Dollar, consider FXA and for Brazilian exposure, consider EWZ.


Buy Technology: While this was also a suggestion for investing during deflationary times, it applies to inflation under the same rationale. Regardless of environment, technology is in demand and will continue to evolve.


Buy Treasury Inflation Protected Securities: These types of treasuries (known as TIPS for short) provide the safety of a government bond with the bonus of protection against inflation. You can buy these outright, or via the iShares Barclays TIPS fund (TIP).


While inflation was all the talk only a few months ago, it has since taken a back seat to deflationary chatter. Given the back and forth, it only makes sense to examine both scenarios. In the depths of the 2008 crisis we broadly examined investment scenarios for inflation versus deflation. At the time, it was unclear what type of environment we'd be entering. While still not entirely evident to this day, many have postulated that deflation in the near-term will then give way to inflation in the longer-term. A compromise of views, if you will. We've mapped out inflationary defenses above and for a look at the converse scenario, be sure to check out the best investments for deflation. Now you have a loose framework for either environment.

Pasco Alfaro's Miura Global Management Buys Crude Oil Via United States Oil Fund (USO)

Pasco Alfaro's hedge fund Miura Global Management recently filed a 13G with the SEC regarding shares of the United States Oil Fund (USO). Due to activity on June 29th, 2010 Miura now shows a 7.5% ownership stake in the exchange traded fund with 4,241,000 shares. This is a brand new position for Alfaro's hedge fund as they did not own shares back on March 31st, 2010 when first quarter portfolio disclosures were made.

What's interesting here is the fact that the fund has used an exchange traded fund as a proxy for investing in oil rather than directly playing oil futures. Before assessing further, remember that since this is a commodity related investment rather than a stock, the rationale behind the pick might not be what it seems. This could simply be a bullish directional bet on crude oil (in part possibly spurred on by the Gulf oil spill). At the same time, Miura could be using this vehicle as a hedging instrument as they often have various alternative energy plays in their portfolio.

Either way, the fact that they hold such a concentrated position in this crude oil exchange traded fund (USO) is intriguing in and of itself. This is by far the largest pure crude oil position we've seen from the equity focused hedge funds we cover. In the past, we've detailed how to invest in crude oil via exchange traded funds. While that comparison highlights the pros and cons of the various vehicles available to investors, it's surprising to see a prominent hedge fund investing such a large sum in a somewhat flawed exchange traded fund. There are numerous negative aspects to using USO as a proxy for oil, many of which we outlined via an in-depth piece, how contango affects crude oil ETF's. Needless to say, the fact that USO merely buys front month crude oil contracts over and over leaves much to be desired.

So while we don't quite know the exact rationale behind Alfaro's investment for his hedge fund, we do know that USO is a vehicle more-so suited for near-term trading rather than investing longer term. Maybe more than anything they might have selected USO purely for its liquidity as other oil funds are far less liquid on a daily trading basis. We'll have to see if we can glean further information regarding their investment purpose (directional versus hedge) and their investment timeframe.

This is the first time we've detailed portfolio maneuvers from this hedge fund so let's get some background. Miura Global Management is a long/short equity hedge fund founded in 2004 by Pasco Alfaro and Richard Turnure. While Alfaro still manages the firm, Turnure left to pursue an alternative energy endeavor after spearheading many of Miura's investments in that space. Miura grew from $5 million in assets under management to upwards of $3 billion. The hedge fund focuses on cutting edge research, multifaceted risk management, and non-correlated returns. Miura Global is a 'Tiger Seed' hedge fund because it was seeded by legendary Tiger Management hedge fund manager Julian Robertson. As such, the fund is a part of the 'Tiger hedge fund family tree'.

Taken from Google Finance, the United States Oil Fund is "a limited partnership. USOF is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (units) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the NYSE Arca). The Company’s general partner is United States Commodity Funds LLC (the General Partner) and is responsible for the management of USOF. The investment objective of USOF is for the changes in percentage terms of its units’ net asset value (NAV) to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the changes in the price of the futures contract on light, sweet crude oil traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the NYMEX)."

For the latest investments from top managers, head to our daily hedge fund portfolio tracking series.

Crude Oil & Gold Trading Ranges: Key Levels to Watch

MarketClub recently analyzed two of everyone's most favorite commodities: crude oil and gold. Adam just took a technical look at crude oil and wondered if it has topped out for the year. He draws a fibonacci retracement from the peak during oil's epic rise down to the trough and notes that the commodity is currently trading right around the 38.2% retracement level. In his oil video, Adam concludes that it is currently stuck in a trading range and could be for some time. But he does note that after trading ranges often come explosive moves. He highlights that the $72 level as an absolutely key level for support. If crude oil breaks that level to the downside, then he thinks it sets new lows for the year. One thing their analysis does not take into consideration, however, are the seasonal factors at play with crude. Typically, summer months command higher prices in oil so we'll have to see what happens there. Click below to watch Adam's video:



MarketClub also cranked out a technical analysis video on gold where they wonder whether or not gold is setting up for its next big move. Obviously, the longer term trend has been up and they illustrate how the metal continues to make a large move higher and then consolidate and trade sideways for a while to digest the move. It has repeated this pattern on a large scale numerous times over the past few years as you can see in their gold video. So, similar to crude oil, Adam feels there's really no trend right now and it will continue to trade sideways. He outlines $1,165 as the key level for the metal as it won't be able to start any move higher until it breaches that level to the upside. You can check out their technical look at gold below:

Taking A Look At Gold, the US Dollar, & Crude Oil

The guys over at MarketClub just put out three interesting videos covering three hot topics: gold, the US dollar, and crude oil. Let's first start with their coverage of crude oil since it's trading near a crucial level.

Crude Oil

Firstly, Adam checks out the crude oil market and right off the bat he highlights that while crude has been in an overall uptrend since March of this year, the recent decline could be worrisome. He specifically notes the $67 level as crucial seeing how that was the most recent level of major support back in late September. While crude initially traded higher from thos levels, it has since spiraled down and is getting close to testing support. If it takes out $67 to the downside, Adam notes that you should exit the market as support will have broken. You should also note that Adam previously identified a pattern in crude oil where it is sold off every 75 days or so and then was bought right back up again. We're in the midst of one of those downtrend areas right now and buying needs to come in for this pattern to remain in tact. If crude heads lower, it will have breached a support level and nullified this patterned uptrend as well, a definite sign to exit the commodity. Click the chart below to watch the crude oil analysis.




Gold

Secondly, you can see their technical analysis on gold here. Adam feels that it's best for you to just stay out of the precious metal for now if you're not already in it because of what he calls "silly season." He's referring to the period from December 15th until the new year where many traders and money managers simply take off for the holidays. As such, volume in markets decreases and it only takes a little bit of money to really whipsaw things around. Not to mention, they are seeing conflicting indicators on their screen as the weekly trend is going down but their daily indicators are pointing up. These divergences combined with the lack of market participants over the holidays means it's best to sit on your hands they say.

US dollar

Lastly, you can see their analysis of the US dollar here. The dollar has been in a definitive downtrend over the past few months and their monthly indicators have been bearish since May of this year. Their weekly signals on the other hand, have turned up as the dollar has been rallying as of late. While some may interpret this as bullish, they note that trading against the primary trend (which is still down) is not advisable. We'd tend to disagree with him on this point as illustrated in the chart below you can see that the dollar has clearly broken out of its downtrend (green line) from the past few months. Not to mention, it is now trading above its 50 day moving average (blue line) and both the RSI and MACD are heading higher.



To his credit, Adam highlights the potential divergence in the MACD as its been slowly building higher since June. This means that the dollar is definitely something to keep an eye on in his view, but until the primary trend reverses, he thinks it's best to sit on the sidelines. We're obviously starting to see a common theme here in staying on the sidelines. It's typically not worth the risk of playing around in the anemic holiday markets. Conflicting signals and lack of true trading participants going into the holidays means you should probably avoid getting whipsawed around. Overall, Adam took at a look at some hotly traded assets but conceded that maybe it's best to just not trade them at all until the new year and we can't argue there.

Hedge Fund Exposure Levels: Still Very Long Equities

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is out with some recent data on hedge fund portfolio positioning as of the first week of December. Per their hedge fund monitor report, we see that hedge funds were still very much long equities as they have overweighted that asset class as well as energy and precious metals. We also learn that they were covering shorts in 10-Year Treasuries and the US dollar index. Those two short positions have been widespread in hedge fund land for some time now as hedgies bet on inflation via rising rates and a weak dollar. While in the past we've covered specifics like what ten stocks are most popular amongst hedge funds, we're taking a step back today to highlight the broader picture.

Overall Exposure Levels

Long/Short Equity Hedge Funds: While most L/S funds typically have had 30-40% net long exposure historically, December kicked off with hedge funds net long by around ~45%. This comes after long/short funds had hit a multi-year high level of 50% net long in mid November. Some recent action by these funds suggest that their inflationary expectations are declining and they have been shifting from value and high quality names into small cap names.

(click to enlarge)

Market Neutral Hedge Funds: They note that market neutral funds have stuck to their name and have gone back to 'neutral,' having spiked in weeks prior. Overall, they are largely neutral on equities and have negative inflationary expectations.

Global Macro Hedge Funds: Additionally, global macro hedge funds have been in a 'crowded long' of the S&P 500 and have also been in an even more crowded long of emerging markets. Bank of America Merrill Lynch's readings on net long emerging market positions are at the highest they have been since August 2008. They also apparently have been selling 10-Year Treasuries and have been modestly covering shorts on the US dollar (a crowded trade).


Commodities

We also now want to turn to commodity exposure levels as they have taken center stage again with Gold's parabolic rise.

Gold: Their research indicates that in the first week of December, large speculators were selling gold. However, this is still very much a crowded trade to the longside. They note that gold completed what they call a 'head and shoulders continuation pattern that projects up to $1300-1350.' So, interesting to see their price targets on the precious metal as those levels fall largely in line with technical analysis price targets on gold that we've seen. Also, we've recently covered the latest offering from hedge fund icon John Paulson. Those interested in gold should read his rationale in our in-depth post on his new gold fund.

Silver: They are noting that large speculators were buying silver somewhat at the beginning of December and that it is stuck in a trend channel. Their target upside is in the $20 area and they see support in the $14-15 range. The long-term upside target on silver is an old high of $50.

Copper: Well, Dr. Copper was holding steady as large speculators pretty much left their net long position unchanged. They note that copper has an upside potential to $350 while they are identifying support in two areas: $290 as well as $260.

Platinum: Large speculators mildly increased their bets on this metal in the first week of December. After falling off last year due to weak automotive demand, the metal has bounced back and has support at $1250 and resistance at $1500 according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch's research.

Crude Oil: In this commodity, large speculators held their steady net long positions as of the first week of December, having been selling at the end of November. They note that crude has been trading in a sideways range of around $65-75 since July and a breakout above this area would obviously prove to be bullish. They end their note saying that the "crowded long position remains a contrarian negative." We also recently highlighted a technical analysis video on crude oil that identified a potential pattern in this commodity as well.

Natural Gas: This commodity has been on a deathspiral for some time and it looks set to continue. As of the first week in December, large speculators were holding their deep net short position. Bank of America Merrill Lynch has commented on current action, saying it "appears to be in a broad base-building process."


Fixed Income

Moving lastly to fixed income, we thought it would be prudent to check in on hedge fund positioning as it relates to US Treasuries. As we've detailed on Market Folly before, there have been tons of prominent hedge fund managers involved on the short side of this trade. Many prominent hedge funds and market gurus have previously warned of inflation and have shorted long-term US treasuries. One of the original hedgies Michael Steinhardt himself has called treasuries foolish. Legendary investor and ex-Quantum fund manager Jim Rogers shares this sentiment and dislikes treasuries. Hedge fund legend Julian Robertson is betting on higher interest rates and is doing so via constant maturity swaps (CMS).

There are also managers playing the other side of the trade as bond vigilante Bill Gross of PIMCO is betting on deflation and has been buying treasuries. What's interesting here is that technically, both sides of the trade can win. One side of the trade could profit from short-term ebbs and flows, while the other side of the trade could win out in the long-run. It will arguably take years for the final verdict to play out, but that doesn't mean money can't be made in the mean time.

Here is the latest hedge fund positioning on 30-Year Treasuries, 10-Year Treasuries, as well as 2-Year Treasuries:

(click to enlarge)

That wraps up Bank of America Merrill Lynch's coverage of hedge fund exposure levels as of the first week of December. While it's good to see overall hedge fund exposure levels, those of you wanting more specific positions can head to our post on the top ten stocks owned by hedge funds. It's interesting to see how hedge funds are positioned heading into the close of the year and we're sure they'll be adjusting once the new year starts as well. To see how hedge funds might position themselves for next year, check out ten investment themes for 2010.

Technical Analysis On Crude Oil & Apple (AAPL)

The team over at MarketClub just released two new technical analysis videos. You can check out the video on crude oil here and then the video on Apple (AAPL) here. Starting with crude oil first, Adam has identified a pattern where oil actually pulls back every 70-80 days or so. The gap of time between the last three lows is 70 days, 84 days, and 76 days. The current time elapsed since the last low is around 65 days. So, Adam has hypothesized that in 10 days or so, we'll see the next low in oil before it heads higher. After all, the gradual trend in crude since March has been up and all large dips have been buying opportunities Click the chart below to watch the crude oil video.




Secondly, they also look at the popular stock Apple (AAPL). And, things aren't looking all that rosy for this name. Many have pointed to Goldman Sachs (GS) to show the relative weakness compared to the market as it could be a warning sign. Apple could now be exhibiting similar signs as it could possibly have seen a double top and be headed lower. Normally, every big pullback in AAPL has been met with buying. While that still could potentially happen, their signals currently have them out of AAPL as they are worried it could head lower. So, if you're looking for possible 'tells' in the market, watch the action in some of the industry leaders of Goldman Sachs (GS) and Apple (AAPL). You can see how the guys at MarketClub have been trading AAPL throughout the year in their video.

How to Play Crude Oil Using ETFs & ETNs: A Comparison of USO, DBO, & OIL

The following is a Guest post on MarketFolly.com.

'tradefast' is the nickname of an independent equity trader who has more than 20 years of market experience at a major financial institution and 2 hedge funds. He now trades for a private investment fund, using a combination of both fundamentals and technicals. (He's our kinda guy).

Last week, he sat down to explain how contango affects the crude oil ETF's and ETN's that many investors and traders usually play, including USO, OIL, & DBO. This next piece is a follow-up post to that topic. So, before beginning, make sure you check out: How Contango Affects Crude Oil ETFs & ETNs.

Next, he takes a look at how to play crude oil using those same ETFs & ETNs. He writes,

Objective

This article provides some straightforward insight as to how a retail trader/investor can implement a directional play on the price of crude oil. Included is a discussion of the manner in which the forward market for crude oil can cause crude oil ETF returns to deviate from spot market returns. This article is not intended to be authoritative, comprehensive, or highly technical. It is simply a compilation of previous discussions on the topic (with some added elbow grease and my version of common sense). Readers should be aware that much of the material in this article has been discussed previously here and here. Certain elements of this article are pulled directly from these sources.

Note

When I first wrote about the effects of forward curves on crude oil ETFs, the crude market was in steep contango and the discussion attracted widespread attention. More recently, the crude curve has flattened somewhat and it may appear to some individuals that the curve shape has become less of an issue to retail speculators. I have a different view. I believe that sharp volatility in the shape of the curve makes it imperative that retail crude speculators understand how curve adjustments can affect their positions. This topic is not dying, but rather garnering added importance.

Introduction - Retail Investors Cannot Trade Spot Crude Oil

I have a friend with fairly extensive stock trading experience who generates most of his technical market analysis using the S&P 500 futures contract. When it comes time to transact, however, he will swing over to the cash market and trade an ETF such as SPY (S&P 500) or a leveraged ETF such as SSO (2x the S&P 500) or SDS (2x the inverse of the S&P 500 - a double short). Although he and I share the same trading objectives (to capture a directional movement in the S&P 500), I choose to generate my technical analysis using the precise instrument which I expect to trade. In my case, SPY (or SSO or SDS if I desire leverage). I am confident in my approach because I know the instrument I am trading exhibits an extremely tight relationship to movement in the S&P 500 cash market. Simply put, I trade SPY because is a highly dependable proxy for replicating the spot market of the S&P 500.

Unfortunately, traders or investors wishing to implement a directional play on crude oil lack access to a tradeable instrument which tracks spot crude oil in the same manner that SPY tracks the S&P 500. Instead, we must choose from an array of instruments which are structured with the intent of tracking crude prices, but with flaws relating to the fact that crude oil (unlike the S&P 500) is a physical commodity for which spot trading is limited to those who can transport, store, or produce crude oil.

Crude Oil Futures – The Curve

Fortunately, despite our lack of access to the crude oil spot market, there is a highly liquid market for futures contracts which reference crude oil. And, the price of these contracts exhibits volatility which generally resembles the movements in the spot market. Many traders transact directly in crude oil futures contracts, electronically or in the futures pit. These traders rely on the fact that they will never have to physically handle the commodity itself. They can simply close out their futures positions prior to expiration and net out the difference between their entry and exit price.

The fact is that trading in crude oil futures (which expire monthly) is spread out over several months, even years. And, the price of crude for delivery at future expiration often varies substantially from month to month. At times, prices in future delivery months are progressively higher than in the nearest delivery month (contango). And, more often than not, the opposite is true (backwardation). Many futures traders have specialized knowledge of the day-to-day shifts in supply and demand fundamentals and they are comfortable projecting price movements at specific points along the forward curve. The typical retail investors probably lacks the skill-set needed to profitably exploit forward curves in a sophisticated manner.

Introducing Crude Oil ETFs/ETNs

For the retail crude oil speculator who is incapable of trading crude oil futures, there are tradeable ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and ETNs (Exchange Traded Notes) which employ futures contracts in pursuit of the general objective of “tracking the price of crude oil”. A typical crude oil ETF will hold long positions in WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures contracts. As with most futures traders, these funds employ leverage, putting up a small portion of the capital to buy the contracts. The rest of the fund’s assets are invested in money market instruments which generate a modest amount of interest income for the fund.

ETFs – The Roll

In theory, the existence of crude oil ETFs enable individuals to implement a single equity trade to express a view that crude oil prices will either rise or fall in the future. Unfortunately, this objective is compromised by the existence of a forward curve in the crude oil futures market.

Because of the forward Curve, any ETF referencing crude oil cannot simply rely on ownership of the existing front month (closest to expiration) futures contract. To remain invested at all times, it must periodically sell its existing futures holdings and roll its exposure to a futures contract expiring in a more distant month.

ETFs – Return Components

With crude oil ETFs, the technical result of utilizing crude oil futures for the NAV (net asset value) return is dependent on three variables: 1) changes in the spot price of crude oil, 2) interest earned on un-invested cash, and 3) the ‘roll yield’ – which is a function of the spread between the price of the contract being sold and the price of the contract being entered. In contango markets, the roll yield will be negative because the fund must pay up to enter the more distant contract, and the opposite is true in backwardated markets. Furthermore, the precise timing of the forward roll can have a material impact due to the propensity of the expiring contract to experience high volatility in the days immediately prior to expiration.

Roll Yield – ETF Return Illustration

Let us consider the case of a hypothetical crude oil ETF which provides exposure to the front month crude oil futures contract, with the exposures rolled forward as expiration approaches.

To illustrate the concept of the roll yield, assume that the 2009 spot return on crude oil is +20%. But, assume that persistent contango in the market results in a cumulative roll yield of -15 %. In these circumstances, the combined return of a crude oil based ETF might be in the ballpark of +5%, a far cry from the +20% return generated in the crude oil spot market.

As illustrated, contango in the crude oil market may cause ETF returns to lag spot market returns. Not surprisingly, a flat/stable forward curve would result in a minimal roll effect. On the other hand, a backwardated curve may cause the ETF to outperform the spot market.

Roll Yields – A Source of Tracking Error

The variability of roll yields coupled with the shifting slope of the forward curve should dispel any notion that the return on crude oil ETFs will track the spot market of crude oil in a predictable manner. The managers of the crude oil ETFs and ETNs are fully aware of this issue and they make no claims regarding their ability to replicate spot crude returns. They merely claim to attempt to track a return benchmark that is comprised of crude oil futures contracts, thereby providing traders/investors with some ability to participate in directional movements in the price of crude oil. (Note: This situation is analogous to an issue which exists with certain leveraged (non-oil) ETFs which have proven to be extremely deficient in terms of tracking their benchmark indices in volatile markets. These instruments have strictly adhered to their stated strategies and objectives, but have failed to achieve the imaginary objectives of many careless traders.)

ETFs/ETNs – Examining the Fine Print

Included below is some language directly out of the prospectuses of some of the more popular crude oil ETFs and ETNs. Notice that the managers willingly acknowledge the issues related to forward curvature and the roll yield impacts on returns. This segment of analysis will focus on the three most popular crude oil instruments in existence today: an ETN (OIL) and two ETFs (USO & DBO). Many of the issues raised herein are applicable to all crude oil ETFs and ETNs, although leveraged ETNs (such as DXO) involve complications which are not analyzed here.

ETF versus ETN – Counterparty Risk

No discussion of crude oil ETFs would be complete without some mention of the important difference between an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) and an ETN (Exchange Traded Note). With an ETF, holders are secured by the assets of the fund, so the credit worthiness of the fund manager firm is not a relevant consideration. If the manager collapsed into insolvency, the ETF would be unaffected, except for the possibility of a change in management (which is not an important consideration in the case of a fund which is passively managed to match a specific benchmark). In contrast, owners of an ETN are unsecured creditors who receive a mere ‘promise to pay’ equivalent to the value of the underlying assets. Let's simplify this distinction: If a given ETF and a given ETN have the same exact net asset value (NAV), it is conceivable that the ETN could be worth less than the ETF if the manager of the ETN asset pool experienced a level of financial distress which resulted in a material downgrade of the credit quality of the manager’s bonds. Given that most ETN managers are financial institutions with challenging balance sheets, this risk is worthy of consideration.

In a worst case scenario, the ETN manager could face an abrupt insolvency and default on the ETN. This risk, often referred to as counter party risk, is similar to the risk that credit default swap (CDS) holders faced when Lehman Brothers and AIG encountered insolvency. We, as rational individuals, do not buy insurance from high risk insurers. And, as such, we should think similarly about owning ETNs issued by high risk managers.

US Oil Fund (USO)

USO is a standard crude oil tracking ETF that utilizes a strategy resembling the hypothetical ETF analyzed earlier in this article. Accordingly, USO entails all of the risk factors related to the use of crude oil futures as a tracking mechanism for crude oil prices. As with all ETFs, the objectives, the portfolio structure, and the major risk factors are clearly disclosed in the prospectus.

From the ‘risk factors’ section of the USO prospectus,

"in the event of a crude oil futures market where near month contracts trade at a lower price than next month contracts, a situation described as ‘‘contango’’ in the futures market, then absent the impact of the overall movement in crude oil prices the value of the benchmark contract would tend to decline as it approaches expiration. As a result the total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract would tend to track lower. When compared to total return of other price indices, such as the spot price of crude oil, the impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return of USOF’s NAV to vary significantly. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling oil prices, this could have a significant negative impact on USOF’s NAV and total return."

Notice how they warn that USO may experience a negative roll yield which may cause the NAV of USO to deviate significantly from the spot price of crude oil. Is there historical precedence for USO deviating from spot oil by a material amount? As it turns out, the answer is ‘yes.'

"During the past two years, including 2006, these markets have experienced contango. This has impacted the total return on an investment in USOF units during the past year relative to a hypothetical direct investment in crude oil. For example an investment made in USOF units on April 10 and held to December 31, 2006 decreased, based upon the changes in the closing market prices for USOF units on those days, by 23.03%, while the spot price of crude oil for immediate delivery during the same period decreased 11.18%."

The only logical conclusion is that USO is not a direct play on the spot price of crude oil. It is, instead, a play on the spot price, forward prices, and the relationship between spot and forward (or, the slope of the futures curve).

Power Shares DB Oil Fund (DBO)

DBO is different from USO in that its managers utilize specialized strategies intended to mitigate the effect of roll yields on returns. As with USO, the prospectus for DBO directly addresses the issue of roll risk. In the case of DBO, however, the manager is not passive about accepting a negative roll yield in a contango market. In the words of the manager,

"Rather than select a new futures contract based on a predetermined schedule (e.g., monthly), each Index Commodity rolls to the futures contract which generates the best possible ‘implied roll yield.’... [The manager] is able to potentially maximize the roll benefits in backwardated markets and minimize the losses from rolling in contangoed markets."

I think it is fair to point out that the active approach being utilized by DBO presents both opportunities and risks in relation to the more passive rule-based approach used by USO. It is certainly conceivable that, by employing their optimization model, DBO will exhibit improved roll yields and better returns than USO. But, as with all things financial, the DBO model may backfire due to faultiness of imbedded assumptions. If DBO’s approach were full-proof, it is probably fair to conclude that an arbitrage opportunity might exist whereby profits could be generated by pairing a long position in DBO with a short position in USO. At this juncture, I am extremely hesitant to advocate such a strategy. Advanced readers wishing to gain a better understanding of DBO’s optimization approach may benefit from this link.

IPath S&P GSCI Crude Total Return ETN (OIL)

OIL is structured as an ETN issued as an uncollateralized obligation by Barclays Bank PLC. It is a financial institution that can be regarded as vulnerable to rising default risk in the current environment. As with USO and DBO, OIL is managed with the objective of tracking WTI crude oil prices by trading in crude oil futures (rather than the physical commodity).

OIL uses a specific benchmark to guide its futures trading activity: a crude oil index devised by Goldman Sachs. As with most index funds, OIL’s objective is to minimize the performance tracking error in relation to the index. OIL is not intended to perform better or worse than the index. The composition of the index, by design, can include any of the crude oil futures contracts which expire within three months. At present, however, the only contract used to calculate the index is the front month contract (which expires three business days prior to the 25^th of the next calendar month).

OIL’s roll strategy is formulated and it is unique from that of DBO and USO. But, the differences in relation to USO probably do not have a material economic effect. In particular, holdings of the front month futures contract are rolled over a five day period commencing on the fifth business day of the month. Essentially, this means that OIL will have completed its roll approximately two weeks before front month expiration. (Note: USO rolls two weeks prior to expiration).

In essence, OIL is more similar to USO because the roll strategy is formulaic, and not intended to minimize the effects of negative carry in a contango futures market (or maximize the benefits of backwardation). But, this similarity is also offset by the fact that OIL carries material counterparty risk since it is an ETN, while USO and DBO do not (since they are ETFs).

USO Versus DBO Versus OIL - Expenses and Liquidity

The volatility of these instruments is so high that expenses have a relatively minimal impact. But, for frugal and/or longer term investors, the following information may be relevant:

Annualized expense ratios:

• USO 0.86%

• DBO 0.54%
  

• OIL 0.75%
  

Empirical Data – Historical Price Returns

It is unwise to draw any specific conclusions from this information, but a quick examination of the recent market returns of USO, DBO, and OIL reveal the following facts:

Year-to-date price returns (thru 1/24/09):

• USO -2.9%

• DBO +1.1%
  

• OIL – 7.9%

Although inconclusive, the material disparity between the return of USO and OIL is potentially due to the fact that OIL is an ETN issued by Barclays – a Bank that has suffered from extensive credit quality impairment in recent days.

Returns, 2008 peak to current:

• USO -72%

• DBO -65%
  

• OIL -75%

Further assessment of the relative returns of these instruments can be found here.

Conclusion

Considering the following factors:

1. Counterparty risk
2. Futures roll strategy (and roll yield)
3. Liquidity and expenses

USO has no counterparty risk and no active management risk. DBO has no counterparty risk but has inherent risks and opportunity related to the active management of the roll. Lastly, OIL has material counterparty risk. I currently favor USO as the instrument to express my directional views on crude oil over the other two instruments DBO and OIL.

Thanks to 'tradefast' for the excellent in-depth overview of crude oil ETFs & ETNs. We think he has highlighted some excellent points that any trader or investor should know before using these vehicles to speculate on crude oil. If you haven't already, make sure you check out: How Contango Affects Crude Oil ETFs & ETNs. For additional coverage on crude oil, check out the recent slide presentation: Cheap Oil = Over. Also, we've commented on cheap oil, and have covered energy trader Eric Bolling's latest oil trades and thoughts here.

Lastly, you can follow tradefast on Twitter, and catch his thoughts on his blog.

How Contango Affects Crude Oil ETF's and ETN's (USO, OIL, DBO)

The following is a Guest post on MarketFolly.com. Note this is part of a 2 article series in which we also examine how best to play crude oil via the various ETFs/ETNs. Below, you'll find the article relating to how contango affects these investment vehicles. In a follow-up article, we compare the crude oil investment vehicles.

'tradefast' is the nickname of an independent equity trader who has more than 20 years of market experience at a major financial institution and 2 hedge funds. He now trades for a private investment fund, using a combination of both fundamentals and technicals. (That sounds like our kinda guy!)

He sat down to explain how contango affects the crude oil ETF's and ETN's many investors and traders usually play, including USO, OIL, & DBO. He writes,

"The US Oil Fund (Ticker: USO) holds long positions in West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contracts, and rolls these contracts forward each month. Like most futures traders, USO buys futures with leverage, putting up a small portion of the money to buy the contracts. The rest of the money is invested in Treasuries, which generates interest income for the fund.

Three factors play a role in determining the performance of USO: 1) changes in the spot price of crude oil, 2) interest income on un-invested cash, and 3) the 'roll yield'. The first two factors are easily understood, but the third factor, 'roll yield' should be examined further in order to determine the extent, if any, to which traders of USO will be surprised by its performance in relation to spot crude oil.

First some background: Oil futures are available for each month of the year, so you can buy a futures contract right now which gives you the right to buy oil in February 2009, March 2009, April 2009, and so on. Currently, the price of oil in February 2009 is less than the price of oil in April 2009, a condition which is referred to as 'contango'. (If the opposite were true, the market for crude oil would be in backwardation.) Most commodity funds, including the US Oil Fund (USO) buy what is called the 'near month' contract and, because they do not want to take physical delivery of the commodity, they sell the current month's contract before it expires and buy into next month's contract. This process is called 'rolling forward', and it can result in the ETF paying up if the forward month contract is higher than the current month (contango), or cashing out if the opposition condition exists (backwardation).

To investigate the issue, I read through the 'risk factors' section of the USO prospectus. The following is relevant:

in the event of a crude oil futures market where near month contracts trade at a lower price than next month contracts, a situation described as ‘‘contango’’ in the futures market, then absent the impact of the overall movement in crude oil prices the value of the benchmark contract would tend to decline as it approaches expiration. As a result the total return of the Benchmark Oil Futures Contract would tend to track lower. When compared to total return of other price indices, such as the spot price of crude oil, the impact of backwardation and contango may lead the total return of USOF’s NAV to vary significantly. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling oil prices, this could have a significant negative impact on USOF’s NAV and total return.

In essence, the USO prospectus is warning traders that USO may experience a negative 'roll yield' which may cause the NAV of USO to deviate significantly from the spot price of crude. Is there historical precedence for USO deviating from spot oil by a material amount? As it turns out, the answer is 'yes'.

During the past two years, including 2006, these markets have experienced contango. This has impacted the total return on an investment in USOF units during the past year relative to a hypothetical direct investment in crude oil. For example an investment made in USOF units on April 10 and held to December 31, 2006 decreased, based upon the changes in the closing market prices for USOF units on those days, by 23.03%, while the spot price of crude oil for immediate delivery during the same period decreased 11.18%

The conclusion, at this stage of analysis, is that USO is not a direct play on the spot price of crude oil - it is, instead, a play on the spot price, forward prices, and the relationship between spot and forward (the slop of the futures curve).

For a trader who is long USO, my instinct is that maintenance or aggravation of the contango in crude oil will cause impairment of the value of USO in relation to spot crude - whereas, any mitigation of the contango situation (including a shift to a flatter curve or backwardation) will enhance the performance of USO.

I plan to study this issue more extensively. But, in the mean time, I will not consider USO to be a good proxy for the spot price of crude oil - and I will be particularly leery of participating in USO for anything other than a short term trade."


'Tradefast' highlights an issue that many have overlooked or just not taken the time to research. Many perceive that USO is the "best way to play oil" since it's the front-month contract. But, as he points out, there are some issues with this ETF, depending on how crude oil is trading in the front month and beyond. So, as always, read the prospectus of each fund you're trading or investing in. It's important to understand what exactly it is you're dealing with.

In the comments section of his original article, he goes on to address similar issues in other crude oil ETF's and ETN's. Regarding ticker OIL, he writes,

"Here is a link to the prospectus for OIL, the IPath crude Oil ETN.

The 'contango issue' is discussed on PS-10. Short answer: yes, a contango market in crude oil will result in negative roll yields - similar to USO.

Also, be aware that OIL is an ETN (exchange traded note), rather than an ETF (exchange traded fund). With ETNs, you are an unsecured creditor of Barclays (the issuer of the note), so you have credit risk overlaid on the risk of the commodity.

In a former life, I used to enter into total return swaps on various indices with Lehman as the counterparty. I halted this practice long before LEH became a troubled credit. My sense is that the popularity of ETNs have fallen in relation to ETFs, because of the credit risk.

I have no strong opinions regarding Barclay's default risk, but it might be worthwhile to consider that Barclays CDS widened by a meaningful 98 bps on Friday, and the stock declined 24%. Although the current CDS spread of 265 bps is not indicative of extremely high default risk, the level and direction are cause for some concern. (Barclays credit risk can be hedged with CDS, but this is a market for instititional investors - and shorting Barclays stock against a long position in OIL exposes the OIL holder to unacceptable basis risk. Ergo, I would prefer ETFs (such as USO) over this specific ETN (OIL)."

He also addresses the Powershares ETF: DBO, writing,

"I took a quick glance at DBO from PowerShares. In the prospectus, PowerShares notes the following:

Rather than select a new futures contract based on a predetermined schedule (e.g., monthly), each Index Commodity rolls to the futures contract which generates the best possible ‘implied roll yield.’ The futures contract with a delivery month within the next thirteen months which generates the best possible implied roll yield will be included in each Index. As a result, each Index Commodity is able to potentially maximize the roll benefits in backwardated markets and minimize the losses from rolling in contangoed markets.

My interpretation of this statement is that the manager of the ETF utilizes a certain amount of discretion with respect to the futures roll. If the forward curve were humped (i.e. backwarded to some point, and contango thereafter), a skillful manager might be able to take advantage. I do not claim expertise in this area, but my observation is that the current market in Crude Oil is in contango as far as the eye can see, and there does not appear to be any immediate advantage to having a selection of forward contracts with which to complete the roll. Also, keep in mind that with active management comes potential advantages (the manager may make a skillful maneuver) and potential risks (the manager may screw up and underperform the benchmark).

Currently, I am not commenting on the leverage associated with DBO, it is beyond the scope of this particular topic (contango effects on crude oil ETFs and ETNs)."

Great insight from tradefast. We definitely appreciate his effort to research and write about each of the various popular ways to play crude oil in equity markets. We feel this is an important topic that needed to be addressed, seeing how so many people trade or invest in these ETF's/ETN's without even blinking an eye. So, thanks again to tradefast for the guest post. Note that a follow-up article was also posted where we examine how to play crude oil via ETFs & ETNS as we compare the different vehicles such as DBO, USO, & OIL. You can view the article on how to play crude oil here.

For some of our coverage of crude oil, check out the recent slide presentation: Cheap Oil = Over. Additionally, we've commented on cheap oil ourselves, and have covered energy trader Eric Bolling's latest oil trades and thoughts.


You can follow tradefast on Twitter, and catch his thoughts on his blog.

Eric Bolling: Still Patient

Overall, Eric Bolling has been patient lately, and that's been the right play. Protecting capital in this volatile environment is essential and you've got to pick your spots. Here's his latest commentary from his column,

"While doing due diligence scouring stocks, investments, bonds, etc. for the big thing, I have added some positions to my portfolio. I re-entered the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) trade and U.S. Oil Fund (USO) trade. I am buying these exchange-traded funds and will add to them if the prices of gold and oil start to firm.

My thinking is that after the dust settles and the world realizes that the Democrats in the U.S. Congress, Senate, and White House will spend substantially more than promised during their campaigns, we will reflate. The beneficiaries of reflation are gold and oil as well as other physical commodities. I am steering clear of equities that produce the oil and mine the gold because I am concerned about the tax treatment they may be burdened with in a new era of Washington tax-and-spend politics.

Right now is a time of capital preservation. There will be a time to invest more aggressively, but not yet, in my humble opinion."

I agree with his call on oil as well, which I noted here in my last post of Bolling's commentary. We both may be (and most likely are) early, but I think its setting up as a great position to slowly accumulate over time. Buy some oil here at $60, buy some if it dips to $50, and heaven forbid if it drops all the way down to $40, I'm loading up. I'll have a more detailed post on oil coming here in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that.

You can view the article in its entirety here.

Quote of the Week 7/14/08

The Quote of the Week this time around is an oldie but goodie. Simply put,

"The trend is your friend."

Until the trend breaks, ride it. Once it breaks, get the hell out. And, Kevin's Market Blog has a great chart which illustrates exactly that point. What chart might it be? Oh that's right... crude oil.

(click to enlarge)