In the early weeks of 2026, the financial landscape has shifted from a focus on digital growth to a scramble for physical assets. As the U.S. dollar continues its decline, plummeting to levels not seen since the early pandemic era, commodities have emerged as the primary beneficiary.
For the do-it-yourself investor, however, the commodity market has historically been a minefield of complex tax structures — specifically the K-1 partnership form. This form often arrives late in the tax season, forcing investors to file for extensions and pay higher accounting fees.
The Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (PDBC) solves this problem by using a unique C-Corp structure that provides broad commodity exposure while issuing a standard 1099 form, making it as easy to own as a regular stock.
PDBC is currently sitting near multi-year highs, driven by a powerful confluence of macro factors. As of late January 2026, the fund has posted a year-to-date gain of over 6%, building on a robust performance throughout 2025. More importantly to me, that chart above is one that is, shall we say, “priced to move.” It looks higher, at least toward $17. When I see a chart with a rising PPO, 20-week moving average positive, and room to hit its former high, I inch up in my chair.
About PDBC
PDBC’s portfolio is an actively managed basket of the world’s most heavily traded commodities, including energy, industrial metals, precious metals, and agriculture. In the current environment, the energy and industrial metal components are doing the heavy lifting. With the Silicon Renaissance in full swing, demand for copper, aluminum, and nickel — essential for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the global electrification push — is far outstripping supply. Meanwhile, agricultural commodities like wheat and corn are seeing renewed interest as geopolitical instability in Eastern Europe and South America threatens global supply chains.
For those interested in getting a piece of a potentially ongoing boom in the prices of gold and silver, PDBC holds more of those than it used to. But they still only combine for 16% of the total assets of the exchange traded fund (ETF).
Main Advantages of PDBC
One of the most significant advantages of PDBC is its specific trading strategy. In many commodity ETFs, the cost of rolling futures contracts — selling an expiring contract and buying the next one — can result in a hidden loss known as negative roll yield or contango.
PDBC’s managers actively select contracts that aim to minimize this decay, which is a critical feature when markets are as volatile as they are today. Currently, several energy and metal markets have shifted into backwardation (where current prices are higher than future prices), which actually creates a tailwind for the fund's returns.
The fund’s liquidity is another major draw for individual investors. With over $4.9 billion in assets and an average daily volume exceeding 4.6 million shares, you can enter and exit positions with minimal slippage.
The case for hard assets over digital ones remains a most intriguing trade for 2026. And while precious metals have carried the ball recently, a resurgence in energy prices could provide some additional support to PDBC. It is the most efficient vehicle for those looking to protect their purchasing power without the annual headache of a partnership tax filing.
Rob Isbitts is a semi-retired fiduciary investment advisor and fund manager. Find his investment research at ETFYourself.com. To copy-trade Rob’s portfolios, check out the new PiTrade app. His new blog on racehorse ownership as an alternative asset is at HorseClaiming.com.
On the date of publication, Rob Isbitts did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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