Metals, agriculture are mixed on up day for stocks
FacebookCommodities are struggling for direction on an up day for the stock market.
The stock market rallied as investors hoped that central banks in the U.S. and Europe would take more action to prop up ailing economies. Oil prices rose for the same reason. The price of oil has dropped for weeks, because investors worry that a slowing economy will crimp demand.
The reaction was more disjointed in commodities markets. Industrial metals rose, led by a 2 percent increase in palladium. The price of silver fell by 2 percent, and gold was flat.
In agriculture, wheat and corn rose while soybeans fell. Separately, natural gas skyrocketed 14 percent after the government said that supplies increased less than expected last week.