You’re right, the press typically is going off pure speculation. That’s the issue with real time news, etc. They are always jumping to be the first to make the report without doing extensive research. I personally think this pullback is a very healthy, needed one. Stocks were getting expensive, emerging markets (BRIC) were growing to the sky and commodities were being driven by a lot of speculation. I think over the long term trend, we will see the markets continue to improve but we need to have our checks and balances along the way. Commodities such as Gold and Oil have seen a pull back as of lately however, look for that to move north again soon.
Here’s something new and interesting but certainly not investment advice or a recommendation. One can now gain easy exposure to futures & commodities without the complications by buying ETNs (Exchange Traded Notes). These track the Dow Jones AIG Commodities Index (DJP) or the GSCI Total Return index (GSP). Do your homework first of course.