I thought the highlights, from this decade wrap-up were interesting. These are annualized returns, for different vehicles.
1. Gold Futures 14%
2. Hedge Funds 6.3%
3. Treasury Notes 6.1%
4. 19 Raw Materials 3.3%
5. Mutual Funds 1.7%
6. The S&P, including dividends -0.9%
Oil Futures put up 12% annualized returns (approx $25 in dec 1999, to $80 now…excluding cost to carry, and losses due to contango)
I also found this quote, from a BBC article dated Dec 1999, hilarious…as oil topped ~$25.
“The price of oil may not seem as vital as the price of computers or Corn Flakes – but we may all have good reason to watch its fluctuations”