The $52 Trillion Shadow Banks That Supercharged The Commodity Boom

After years in the dog house, the commodity markets are sizzling hot once again. Copper, lithium, tin, nickel, iron ore, manganese, corn, coffee, and lumber prices have all hit all-time highs. Meanwhile, those of aluminum, molybdenum, oil, natural gas, and even the world's least-liked commodity, coal, are trading at multi-year highs. The commodity markets tend to be highly cyclical, mostly bending to the tune of the economy. The price movement of most commodities has historically been both seasonal and cyclical. However, the current commodity supercycle…