On Wednesday, June 12, Credit Suisse launched a pair of exchange-traded notes devoted to offering investors long-only exposure to commodities.Credit Suisse Commodity Benchmark ETN tracks a Credit Suisse-managed index containing futures contracts for 34 different physical commodities. The ETN is aimed at providing broad diversification. Its index tracks commodity futures contracts that expire between one and three months. CSCB charges 0.65%.CSCB faces a crowded field of competitors. Perhaps its closest competitor is ELEMENTS Rogers International Commodity ETN, which tracks the futures contracts of 37 different commodities and also focuses on buying front-month contracts for commodities. RJI historically has had a lower allocation to energy commodities (around 44%, versus 56% for the new Credit Suisse ETN), relative t… Full Story

In an environment where interest rates are near zero and investors are hunting for yield, one income-generating asset class that has been gaining attention from U.S. investors involves infrastructure. Broadly, infrastructure firms are the private companies that construct and manage infrastructure assets, such as toll roads, ports, railroads, water and wastewater systems, and power generation and distribution plants.For investors seeking a broad, diversified, and inexpensive way to invest in infrastructure firms, we recommend iShares S&P Global Infrastructure Index. This exchange-traded fund holds 75 global companies in the infrastructure industry, cutting a broad swath across the industrials, utilities, and energy sectors, although Morningstar categorizes this ETF as being in the industrials space. Indeed, over the years, academics and … Full Story