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Many commodities have watched their prices drop, but iron ore is one exception; its price has surged to levels not seen since 2014. The price of iron ore, the main ingredient of steel, is being propelled upward by the combination of growing shortage and intensifying demand. Devastating circumstances affecting the world’s top producers, Brazil and Australia, along with booming demand in China are mainly to blame for the supply shortfall.

Alternative is a broad term, taking in whatever is different from the conventional. In investments, that means anything that isn’t stocks, bonds or cash. It’s a large playing field that is attracting an increasing number of investors, including some of the wealthiest in the world. Returns can be high, but so can risks; what are some of these diverse investment opportunities and of what should the shrewd investor be cautious?

Few commodities have experienced more pronounced volatility over the last few years than cobalt. This versatile, ferromagnetic metal has been increasingly sought after in recent times, thanks in no small part to its use in lithium-ion batteries

The wealth-management industry is in the midst of some seismic changes at present. The traditional channels through which money has been managed and advice dispensed are now being decisively disrupted. And as a result, those who are being affected the most—from multi-billion-dollar hedge funds to retail investors managing their own portfolios—are now operating in an almost entirely new landscape.

Robotics has long been touted as the next big wave that will boost efficiency, increase customer satisfaction and, most importantly, slash costs and maximize profits. Robo-advisors are now entrenched in the investment industry, but most of these firms are not experiencing all of the benefits of automation; in fact, many of them are losing money. What are the main factors cheating robo-advisors of profitability?

The oil price affects all of us, so its movements are a popular target of speculation. So far in 2019, the oil price has been tracking upward, and oil-market watchers are asking themselves if it could hit $100 per barrel soon. The definitive answer remains elusive, as the multiple and at times conflicting elements that determine the price of oil are in a word: complicated. Stay tuned as OPEC meets in June.

Impact investing, which places social and environmental goals as equal partners with risk and reward, is continuing to reshape the financial sector worldwide. One example is the new impact-focused Scottish Stock Exchange, which will require companies seeking to list to meet the demands of today’s socially conscious investor. Capital markets are in a state of flux within a changing world, and it is incumbent upon all financial-sector players to face this reality.

Singapore has much to celebrate. Along with Hong Kong, it is regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s top financial hubs. Although these rivals match each other on many fronts, their stock exchanges do not. Singapore’s SGX is shrinking, while Hong Kong’s stock exchange continues to grow. It’s easy to see that the SGX is ailing but much harder to figure out exactly why—and how to reverse the trend.

Experienced investors know that the most lucrative returns can come in the least attractive packages. Frontier markets, the world’s pre-emerging markets, could be the new frontier for high growth—at least for those investors who can look past the higher risks. Is the frontier market worth those risks? Many investors believe it is, which is why the market is only slightly less popular than its developed and emerging counterparts.

It’s not often that Canadian oil markets require the intervention of the government to put them back on course. In fact, the last time such a scenario transpired was all the way back in 1981. But in late December, that’s just what happened in the province of Alberta, home to the country’s abundant oil-sands industry.