A commodity market is a market that trades in the primary economic sector rather than manufactured products, such as cocoa, fruit and sugar. Hard commodities are mined, such as gold and oil.[1] Futures contracts are the oldest way of investing in commodities.
One of the biggest benefits of investing in commodities is the fact that they tend to protect investors against the effects of inflation. Generally, demand for commodities tends to be high during periods of high inflation, which pushes up prices. It's also a good bet against the U.S. dollar; so when the greenback declines, commodity prices rise.