Credit Suisse Asset Management recently reported that despite a difficult winter sparking changes in the commodities sector, the Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return performance marked a positive result for January 2018.

Nelson Louie, global head of commodities for Credit Suisse Asset Management, said harsh weather conditions placed an extra demand on natural resources.

"The beginning of 2018 ushered in below freezing temperatures and hazardous winter conditions for a large portion of the U.S.,” Louie said. "Natural gas heating demand spiked while production in the Northeast and Texas was hindered."

The weather forced farmers to fork over extra cash for feed, he pointed out; and without adequate snow cover in the Midwest to shield wheat plantings, crops lacked protection.

Gas pipeline projects suffered as well — not just from the cold, but also from oversight and construction challenges, according to the firm.

Despite livestock decline and other hurdles, oil and petroleum, precious metals and industrial metals saw gains.

Christopher Burton, Credit Suisse Total Commodity Return Strategy senior portfolio manager, observed that key worldwide economies are demonstrating “synchronized growth,” adding that the trend may motivate global banks to “slowly tighten while still remaining accommodative.”

Credit Suisse Asset Management is an international asset management firm providing a broad array of investment options spanning diverse asset classes and investment styles, the company stated on its website. Its commodity return team brings over three decades of expertise and strives to “outperform” commodities index return rates.