Picking the right commodity ETF, on the other hand, is a different story. Below is a list of the different types of commodity ETFs you can potentially include in your portfolio. From broad commodity funds to specific industry ETFs, there’s a fund that makes sense for your investing strategy. Just make sure you watch and research each one before you make any trades.

Broad Commodity ETFs

Commodity ETFs are exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in physical commodities, such as agricultural goods, natural resources, and precious metals. A commodity ETF is usually focused on either a single commodity, holding it in physical storage. The ETFs below track a diversified basket of commodities:

BCM - iPath Pure Beta Broad Commodity ETN DJP - iPath Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total Return ETN GCC - GreenHaven Continuous Commodity Index ETF GSG - iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust GYLD - Arrow Dow Jones Global Yield ETF PDBC - Power Shares DB Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy Portfolio RJI - ELEMENTS Rogers International Commodity ETN USCI - United States Commodity Index Fund

Broad Agriculture ETFs

These ETFs invest in a broad range of agricultural products:

JJA - iPath DJ-UBS Agriculture Total Return Sub-Index ETNMOO - Market Vectors Agribusiness ETFTAGS - Teucrium Agriculture ETFVEGI - iShares MSCI Global Agricultural Producers Fund

Individual Types of Agriculture ETFs

These invest in individual types of agricultural products:

CHOC - iPath Pure Beta Cocoa ETNNIB - iPath DJ-UBS Cocoa Total Return Sub-Index ETNCAFÉ - iPath Pure Beta Coffee ETNJO - iPath DJ-UBS Coffee Total Return Sub-Index ETNBAL - iPath Dow Jones AIG Cotton TR Sub-Index ETNCTNN - iPath Pure Beta Cotton ETNCORN - Teucrium Corn FundGRU - ELEMENTS MLCX Grains Index Total Return ETNJJG - iPath DJ-UBS Grains Total Return Sub-Index ETNWEET - iPath Pure Beta Grains ETNWEAT - Teucrium Wheat FundCOW - iPath DJ AIG Livestock TR Sub-Idx ETNLSTK - iPath Pure Beta Livestock ETNUBC - UBS E-TRACS CMCI Livestock Total Return ETNCANE - Teucrium Sugar FundSGAR - iPath Pure Beta Sugar ETNSGG - iPath DJ-UBS Sugar TR Sub-Index ETNSOYB - Teucrium Soybean FundCUT - Claymore/Beacon Global Timber Index ETFWOOD - iShares S&P Global Timber & Forestry Index ETFSOIL - Global X Fertilizers/Potash ETF

Energy ETFs

These ETFs invest in a broad range of energy sources:

AXEN - iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Energy Sector Index ETF CHIE - Global X China Energy ETF ENY - Claymore/SWM Canadian Energy Income ETF ERX - Direxion Daily Energy Bull 3X Shares ETF ERY - Direxion Daily Energy Bear 3X Shares ETF FILL - iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers Fund FXN - First Trust Energy AlphaDEX ETF GEX - Market Vectors Global Alternatve Energy ETF ICLN - iShares S&P Global Clean Energy Index ETF IPW - SPDR S&P International Energy Sector ETF IXC - iShares S&P Global Energy Sector ETF IYE - iShares Dow Jones US Energy Sector ETF JJE - iPath DJ-UBS Energy Total Return Sub-Index ETN ONG - iPath Pure Beta Energy ETN PBD - Invesco Global Clean Energy ETF QCLN - First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index ETF RGRE - RBS Rogers Enhanced Energy ETN RJN - ELEMENTS Rogers International Commodity Energy ETN RYE - Rydex S&P Equal Weight Energy ETF UBN - UBS E-TRACS CMCI Energy Total Return ETN VDE - Vanguard Energy ETF XLE - Energy Select Sector SPDR

Individual Types of Energy ETFs

These ETFs track specific types of energy:

FUE - ELEMENTS MLCX Biofuels Index Total Return ETN GRN - iPath Global Carbon ETN NLR - Market Vectors Nuclear Energy ETF KWT - Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF TAN - Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy ETF FAN - First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF URA - Global X Uranium ETF

Oil ETFs

Another popular type of commodity ETF is oil and natural gas. However, since oil and gas can’t be stockpiled like precious metals, these ETFs invest in futures contracts instead of the commodity itself.

BNO - United States Brent Oil Fund DDG - The Short Oil and Gas ProShares ETF DUG - UltraShort Oil & Gas ProShares ETF HUC - Horizons BetaPro Winter-Term NYMEX Crude Oil ETF OIH - Market Vectors Oil Services ETF OIL - Goldman Sachs Crude Oil Total Return ETN SCO - ProShares UltraShort DJ-AIG Crude Oil ETF USO - United States Oil Fund ETF USL - United States 12 Month Oil Fund ETF UCO - ProShares Ultra DJ-AIG Crude Oil ETF FRAK - Market Vectors Unconventional Oil & Gas ETF UGA - United States Gasoline ETF

Natural Gas ETFs

BOIL - ProShares Ultra DJ-UBS Natural Gas ETF KOLD - UltraShort DJ-UBS Natural Gas ETF DDG - The Short Oil and Gas ProShares ETF FCG - First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas ETF FRAK - Market Vectors Unconventional Oil & Gas ETF GAZ - iPath DJ AIG Natural Gas TR Sub-Index ETN IGAS - Global Natural Gas Small Cap Equity ETF UNG - United States Natural Gas ETF

Natural Resource ETFs

Natural Resources ETFs invest in companies that are engaged in the production, distribution, and storage of natural resources, including but not limited to metals, agricultural goods, lumber, and oil and gas.

GNR - SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETFGRES - IQ ARB Global Resources ETFGUNR - FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Index FundIGE - iShares S&P North America Natural Resources ETF

Water ETFs

Water equities ETFs invest in companies that process and distribute water, arguably the most important resource on the planet.

CGW - Claymore S&P Global Water ETFFIW - First Trust ISE Water ETFPHO - Invesco Water Resources ETF

Precious Metal ETFs

Precious metals, like gold and silver, are popular ETFs because the underlying commodity can’t go bad or spoil. 

DBP - Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund ETF GLTR -  abrdn ETFS Physical Precious Metal Basket Shares JJP - iPath DJ-UBS Precious Metals Total Return Sub-Index ETN XME - SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF

Gold ETFs

DUST - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3x Shares ETF GDX - the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF GDXJ - Market Vectors Gold Miners Junior ETF GLD - StreetTracks Gold Shares ETF GLDX - Global X Gold Explorers ETF GLL - the UltraShort Gold ProShares ETF IAU - iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF NUGT - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bull 3x Shares ETF SGOL - ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF UGL - the ProShares Ultra Gold ETF RING - iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners Fund

Other Types of Precious Metal ETFs

These ETFs focus on investments in precious metals, including silver, platinum, palladium, and white metals.

AGQ - the ProShares Ultra Silver ETFHUZ - Horizons BetaPro COMEX Silver ETFSIL - Global X Silver Miners ETFSIVR - ETFS Physical Silver Shares ETFSLV - iShares Silver Trust ETFSLVP - iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners FundZSL - ProShares UltraShort Silver ETFWITE - ETFS Physical WM Basket Shares ETFCOPX - Global X Copper Miners ETFJJC - iPath DJ-UBS Copper Total Return Sub-Index ETNCPER - United States Copper Index FundPPLT - the ETFS Platinum Physical Shares ETFPLTM - First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index FundPGM - iPath DJ-UBS Platinum TR Sub-Index ETNPALL - the ETFS Palladium Physical Shares ETFJJN - iPath DJ-AIG Nickel Total Return Sub-Index ETN

Base and Industrial Metals ETFs

These ETFs offer exposure to the prices of various base and industrial metals such as aluminum, lead, copper, and nickel.

JJM - iPath DJ-UBS Industrial Metals Total Return Sub-Index ETNPICK - iShares MSCI Global Select Metals & Mining Producers FundREMX - Market Vectors Rare Earth Strategic Metals ETFRJZ - ELEMENTS Rogers International Commodity Metal ETNSLX - Market Vectors Steel ETF

Other Types of Metal ETFs

JJT - iPath DJ-UBS Tin Total Return Sub-Index ETNJJU - iPath DJ-UBS Aluminum Total Return Sub-Index ETNLIT - Global X Lithium ETF

Materials ETFs

Materials ETFs offer exposure to both domestic and foreign equities operating in the basic materials sector–the production and distribution of chemicals, lumber, metals, and other raw materials.

CHIM - Global X China Materials ETFFXZ - First Trust Materials AlphaDEX ETFIRV - SPDR S&P Interntial Materials Sector ETFRTM - Rydex S&P Equal Weight Materials ETFSBM - ProShares Short Basic Materials ETFSMN - UltraShort Basic Materials ProShares ETFUYM - Ultra Basic Materials ProShares ETFVAW - Vanguard Materials ETF