FORTUNE MAGAZINE Commodities desk
9:22am: There's more of it today than there ever was this summer. And this time around, it really is making oil more expensive. (more)
Oct 22: A Silicon Valley startup rents solar panels to homeowners - a strategy that is both cost-effective for customers and, thanks to generous tax breaks, a boon to its bottom line. (more)
Oct 17: It's an unnerving time for commodities-stock investors. But it could also be an opportunity. (more)
Oct 1: Oil prices will keep rising, says billionaire investor Richard Rainwater - and he's putting money on it. (more)
Sep 26: The long lines and closed pumps seen across the South last week are a warning: inventories are way too low. (more)
Sep 17: A shortage of petroleum engineers is boosting pay rates. Plus, more on speculators and $4 gasoline. (more)
Sep 11: A new report arguing that speculators are to blame for high prices is way off the mark, but that won't stop politicians from using it as "evidence." (more)
Aug 22: There's a way to find out how much oil waits on the U.S. continental shelf. So why don't we? (more)
Aug 13: The issue isn't about lowering gas prices today but securing oil supplies for the future. (more)
Aug 6: With crude prices falling, the stock of the No. 1 independent refiner should benefit. Also: more on why speculators aren't to blame. (more)
Jul 24: As the CFTC trumpets its charges against a Dutch trading fund, the fundamental supply-and-demand factors that govern the price of oil haven't changed. (more)
Jul 21: The president is pushing to lift the ban on drilling off the coasts. That won't be a quick fix for oil prices. (more)
Jul 16: The leaders of OPEC says its members have plenty of oil to meet demand. So why aren't they putting more on the market? (more)
Jul 2: The story of the Hunt brothers, who cornered the market on silver in the 1970s, shows why speculators aren't driving up oil prices. (more)
Jun 27: Onions have no futures market, yet their recent price volatility makes the swings in oil and corn look tame. (more)
| Company | Price | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Beazer Homes USA, Inc | 1.72 | 24.64% |
| CIT Group Inc | 4.18 | 21.22% |
| Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc | 2.20 | 19.57% |
| Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc | 17.91 | -17.97% |
Dec 3 3:57pm ET †
| Index | Last | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones | 8,591.69 | 2.05% |
| Nasdaq | 1,492.38 | 2.94% |
| S&P 500 | 870.74 | 2.58% |
| 10yr | 109 15/32 | Yield: 2.67% |
Dec 03 5:15pm ET †
| Company | Price | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| SanDisk Corporation | 9.04 | 25.38% |
| LSI Logic Corporation | 3.01 | 17.12% |
| Amazon.com, Inc | 44.97 | 9.18% |
| Xilinx Inc | 16.68 | 8.95% |
Dec 3 3:59pm ET †



