"The Real El Niño Risks An Upset To Commodities Markets"

"Commodity investors are in a twist about the weather.

Warmer ocean temperatures last spring indicated an El Niño event was on the horizon, signaling buys, sells, and hedging positions in securities linked to products impacted by storms and droughts. Everything from sugar prices to coffee futures were retooled.

But the El Niño yawned, only to be officially declared this March. That year-long lag crimped the wide commodities market price swings on which traders profit. Now, as the El Niño is unleashed in earnest, producing weather extremes throughout the globe, investors are too timid to try and guess which way the wind is blowing -- literally."

Thomas M. Kostigen reports for USA TODAY May 15, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Strengthening El Nino Fuels Earth’S Warmest First 4 Months on Record" (Washington Post)

"El Niño Near-Certain To Last Through Summer: U.S. Climate Center" (Reuters)

"El Nino Returns as Australia Declares First Event Since ’10" (Bloomberg)

"El Niño Gains Momentum, Could Bring Warmest Year" (Climate Central)

"El Niño Is Here, But It Can’t Help Parched California (For Now)" (Smithsonian)

"El Niño Likely To Stick Around, Could Ease Drought in Calif." (USA TODAY)

NOAA's El Niño Portal

"California Drought: El Niño Conditions Strengthening, But Don't Break Out the Galoshes Yet" (San Jose Mercury News)