ETFs

Prices for copper, gold, wheat, corn and oil are soaring. But how can small investors can take advantage of this growth without taking on way too much risk? That's a good question, indeed. And here are some good answers.

Gold is on a record bull run, up from $328 in 2002 to $1,375 an ounce today. What caused that steep rise wasn't any inherent increase in gold's value to society, but a clever marketing scheme that allowed it to be traded easily without the hassle of physical delivery: The SPDR Gold ETF.

The investment world's love affair with ETFs continued in 2010, as more than 1,000 funds managed assets of $940 billion. Here's a review of the best and the worst performers, and a few reminders about how to use these investment vehicles safely.

A good deal of gold's meteoric gains over the last five years can be attributed to the gargantuan success of an exchange-traded fund that made it easy for investors to pile into the precious metal. If the tide turns, though, they could easily pile out.

Financial markets are becoming increasingly schizophrenic, ruled by erratic ups and downs. It's at times like these when technical analysis can help investors manage the emotional roller coaster, which is why for chart watchers, the catchphrase of the next few months could be "mind the gaps."

Active exchange-traded funds -- a sort of hybrid between a regular ETF and a mutual fund -- were supposed to give investors the best of both worlds. But these newfangled ETFs have so struggled to find their place. Some pros, however, still see a bright future.

The Equity Precious Metals category of ETFs has attracted substantial investment inflow over the last year. That has fueled the creation of new funds, including one that gives investors access four precious metals in one trade.

Although Japan's stock market has been weak for the last 20 years, there are signs that a shift may be under way that could transform that nation into the gateway to Asia's emerging-market consumers. For patient investors looking for a contrarian play with huge upside potential, it's time to re-examine Japan.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) reported earnings of $1.87 for the quarter, down from $1.92 a year earlier. The 2009 results were boosted by upstream asset sales and discrete tax items.

Sales and other operating revenues were $48 billion in the third quarter of 2010, compared with $45 billion a year earlier, the company said in a statement. The increase was largely due to higher prices for crude oil, natural gas and refined products.

Earnings for the first nine months of 2010 were $6.84 per share, compared with $3.71 per share for the first nine months of 2009.

"Earnings for the quarter were essentially flat with a year ago, but up sharply for nine months. Operationally, we continue to show gains in upstream production and progress on our downstream restructuring," CEO John Watson said.

Chevron will begin repurchasing common stock in the fourth quarter. The repurchase program targets a repurchase rate of $500 million to $1 billion a quarter.

Shares of silver are up 40% this year, compared to just over 20% for gold. But a statement from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Tuesday could rattle prices and investors considering adding silver to their portfolios.