Commodities & Real Economy

How prices of raw materials like oil, copper, and lumber reflect the real-world demand and health of the global economy.

Commodities are the raw materials that build and power the world. The price of industrial metals like copper (often called Dr. Copper for its economic predictive ability) or energy products like oil reflects global industrial demand. Rising commodity prices can signal a booming economy, but they can also be a major source of inflation for consumers and businesses.