This final note today, a word on commodities as we leave 2010 in the rear view mirror.

From blogger and occasional commentator on this program Paul Kedrosky, some performance figures for selected commodities last year: Oil — not bad — up 14 percent. Orange juice, up 29 percent. Natural gas was the big loser. Down 20 percent.

The winner? Palladium, up a whopping 95 percent.

What’s that, you ask? It’s one of those rare earth metals we’ve been telling you about, the kind China’s not exporting anymore.