That's good news for the economy, but it may also portend a reversal in commodity prices. When consumers have more money to spend they bid up the prices of the items they want the most. We're already seeing that in the real estate market. According to Zillow, the median home value has increased by 3.8% during the past year, about twice the rate of inflation. Automobile prices are also on the rise. And that's just here in the U.S. Bear in mind that over the next decade, China and India are expected to add one billion middle-class consumers to the global economy. Money to Spend Roughly 15% of the world's total population will have a lot more money to spend on better food, nicer cars, and pricey jewelry. That should translate into increasing demand for agriculture, oil, and gold. I know what you're thinking. Over the next 10 years, most cars will be electric, so demand for gasoline will drop. In fact, a recent study by JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) estimates that by 2025, roughly 30% of all new vehicles sold will be either electric or hybrid. However, that means 70% of new car sales will be powered by traditional combustible engines that run on gasoline. In addition, approximately 90% of the cars already on the road will also be powered by gasoline. As for gold, there are three factors that tend to drive up its value in addition to its commercial applications: geopolitical instability, currency crises, and inflation fears. I believe the next decade will see a spike in all three of those elements as well. The easy way to participate in higher commodity prices is to own a fund such as this one. It is heavily diversified with broad exposure to the entire commodity market. The riskier way to go after higher returns is to own individual stocks that are highly leveraged to commodity prices. For that matter, there are ETFs that directly own commodities such as oil and gold. Either way, a big rise in hard asset prices should cause almost all commodity investments to appreciate in value. But if that sounds too risky for you, I know of a less exotic way to earn big returns in the years to come. I'm talking about utilities stocks. Companies that provide essential services tend to weather economic ups and downs and few needs are more essential that electricity. For our "dividend map" of the best utilities stocks to buy, click here now. These companies are cash cows that generate juicy double-digit yields, year in and year out. If you're looking for sleep-well-at-night investments, our dividend map is for you. |
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