NEW YORK (Commodity Online): Standard & Poor's, the world's leading index provider, announced on Wednesday that the S&P GSCI increased 0.86% in December for a 2009 gain of 13.48%. Industrial metals led the Index in 2009 with a gain of 82.42% as recorded by the S&P GSCI Industrial Metals Index. For the decade, the S&P GSCI posted a cumulative total return of 63.69% led by a 265.84% increase in the S&P GSCI Precious Metals Index. "Coinciding with an approximate 1/4 devaluation of the U.S. Dollar since 1999, the S&P GSCI Precious Metals Index was the best performing sector within the S&P GSCI during the decade," says Michael McGlone, Director of Commodity Indexing at Standard & Poor's and author of the Market Attributes Commodities posted monthly to www.spgsci.standardandpoors.com. "The opportunity cost of holding non-income producing physical assets was certainly enhanced during the decade as the U.S. government benchmark 2-year note declined from a yield of 6.21% at the end of 1999 to 1.14% at the conclusion of 2009." Explore Commodity Online Mobile Services The year 2009 was notable for the outperformance of commodity indices designed to alleviate the negative impact of rolling into contango. During the year, the S&P GSCI Enhanced Index increased 21.63% and the S&P GSCI 3-Month Forward Index increased 20.79%. Decade-to-date, these indices posted solid, pro-forma total returns of +272.50% and +287.36%, respectively

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