Discord between Iran and the West makes for attention-grabbing headlines, but crude-demand fundamentals are soft. So any price spikes will be temporary. The U.S. benchmark contract fell nearly 3% on the week.

After hitting a record $2.27 a pound in March, cotton futures are down 60%. Smaller plantings and increased demand could push the price back up to $1.10 from the current 95.86 cents per pound.

The outlook for natural-gas futures is widely viewed as awful, With forecasts for a warm winter and current excess supply, prices are poised to fall further.

The outlook for natural-gas futures is widely viewed as awful, With forecasts for a warm winter and current excess supply, prices are poised to fall further.

Unless you bet wisely on gold and crude, the second half of 2011 wasn’t a good time to be in commodities—and cotton fared worst of all.

Crude could hit triple digits next year, but cotton and copper could disappoint.

Why—despite Indonesian producers’ holding back supply—will the price of demand-weakened tin continue to languish? The poor macroeconomic outlook.

Big bean crops in Brazil and Argentina mean weak demand for U.S. product. Prices will fall, and China, everyone’s best customer, may cut imports.

Weak demand and high inventories in China have curbed enthusiasm for this key steel ingredient. Look for prices to stay around $140 to $150 per ton.

Cocoa prices, hit hard at the moment, are poised to recover next year.