Gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as well as other commodities, generally stand a better chance of handling a global economic downturn than other types of investments, Barclays Capital said Monday.
While the investment house does not expect a repeat of 2008, it says commodities “are on a very different footing” from two years ago primarily because commodities prices are falling this year from a much lower base than they were falling in 2008 – from their June 2008 peak they fell 54% to February 2009.
“Our results suggest that those commodities that market participants are likely to view as most exposed to a recession are livestock, gasoil and KBOT wheat, while platinum, cotton, lead, carbon and cocoa are likely to be viewed as more “protected,” the Barclays note said.