Vice said:
Can you explain a few of those macroeconomic fundamentals? I've been arguing with my dad lately that silver "doesn't behave like a stock that much", but my inexperience and limited knowledge kind of hamper me...
Sure. We'll look at these metals on a case-by-case basis. All IMO.
Gold: Sure, gold has a small degree of industrial cred with electronics and jewelry, but gold is and will always be the world's reserve currency. Since most western and BRIC nations have adopted a fiat currency (money that is based on nothing physical), gold has become the safe zone when the world economy is troubled and confidence in fiat currencies is dropping. The price of gold was suppressed ever since we were taken off the gold standard, by the banking cartel ala JPM and the like. Even with all the silver lawsuits against JPM, the banks have not begun to face the music for how shadily they have suppressed gold and silver. Anyway, gold is the "safety" place when the world gets scary.
Silver: A growing list of industrial uses in new technologies and emerging economies, and decades of price suppression, are making it an attractive investment. I will admit that I don't follow silver as much as gold & copper.
Copper: A perfect and EXTREMELY bullish forecast for copper demand, going forward, is the result of emerging economies and technological advancements. These growing countries need copper to expand their electrical infrastructures, and the onset of the electric cars will provide a bull market to end all bull markets in copper. The average hybrid car uses 50 lbs. of copper; the electric cars will have at least 200 lbs. in each car! Green energy technologies are also a growing source of demand for copper. I know gold is the story of the day, and I have my gold exposure, but copper, uranium, and potash are the story of tomorrow, and that's where I am buying today.
You should know that if you want to make serious money in commodities, you don't make it by buying the commodity. You make the big money buying "cinderella stocks" in those materials. But stocks are always riskier than commodities, FYI. Be careful.