Amine Bouchentouf - Commodities For Dummies

Commodities For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Amine Bouchentouf

Commodities For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Copyright 2011

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011928391

ISBN: 978-1-118-01687-9

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Amine Bouchentouf is a Partner at Commodities Investors, LLC (CI), an international financial advisory firm headquartered in New York City that provides long-term strategic advice to individuals, institutions, and governments around the world. CI also invests directly on behalf of clients in a wide range of industries relating to natural resources, from crude oil and gold to natural gas and steel.

Amine is a world-renowned market commentator and has appeared in media in the United States, Great Britain, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil. He is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Authors Guild and is also involved with the Council on Foreign Relations. His family has been involved in the production and distribution of commodities for more than three generations.

Amine holds a degree in economics from Middlebury College. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, traveling, and socializing with friends. This is his third book. You can stay up-to-date on Amines perspective on the market through the website www.commodities-investors.com.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my most steadfast supporters my family. You have always been there for me when I needed you and have always supported me in every endeavor Ive decided to undertake. I would not have been able to accomplish half the things Ive done without your tremendous support, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Authors Acknowledgments

Id like to acknowledge the first-rate editorial team at Wiley for their input and assistance through every stage of this process. A writer hopes for nothing more than to have a team of editors who will support his or her general creative vision, and I was extremely fortunate to be able to follow through on my vision for the book from the drafting of the Table of Contents down to the inclusion of technical charts and figures with the guidance of a knowledgeable group of editors. Specifically, Id like to thank Elizabeth Rea, my project editor, for providing valuable insight every step of the way. Id also like to express thanks to Stacy Kennedy for helping launch the project early on and for her continuous input throughout the writing period. I would like to show my gratitude to the graphics department for helping me express my ideas and illustrate my points with the help of charts, graphs, and other helpful visuals. Finally, I would like to thank McLean D. Giles, who served as technical editor.

Since the financial markets in general, and the commodities markets in particular, are so broad and deep, getting insight on all the different aspects of the markets is absolutely critical. I was very fortunate that I could turn to some of the sharpest minds in finance for their insight on the markets. Id like to thank Dr. Scott Pardee, at Middlebury College, for providing me with cutting-edge analysis on the cyclicality of the markets. Id also like to acknowledge the contributions of Ray Strong, at Goldman Sachs, regarding all aspects of the energy markets. Thanks to Karen Treanton, at the International Energy Agency in Paris, for giving me all the vital statistical information on the energy industry. I would like to express my appreciation to John D. Phillips and Neil McMahon, at Alliance Bernstein, for their world-class research. Kevin Rich, at Deutsche Bank, shared with me his knowledge of managed funds, and thanks to everyone at the NYMEX for their insights on the futures market. Additional thanks go to Frank Ahmed, at Bear Stearns, and Richard Adler for their general guidance. I also need to acknowledge the contributions of Elisa Castro, Heather Balke, and, of course, my agent, Mark Sullivan.

Finally, Id like to express my gratitude to my family, whose support was instrumental throughout this process.

Publishers Acknowledgments

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