Inflation has certainly reared its ugly head. And by most accounts, it sounds like it’s going to be around for a while. That makes now a good time to take a look at inflation stocks. Currently, the annual inflation rate for the United States is 7.9% for the 12 months ending in February 2022.

While it’s not going to stay that way forever… especially with interest rates expected to go up. The Federal Reserve announced last year it would take a different approach in how it monitors inflation rates. At the time, the Fed stated it would let inflation run a little bit hotter than the standard 2% target. But we’ve far surpassed that metric now. We expect to see a hike in interest rates this month in an attempt to rebalance.

However, as inflation continues to leave its mark on consumer staples, some investments will do better than others. Some might not be impacted at all. And others could be poised for a major downturn.

A Brief Overview

A simple generalization is that the transportation sector tends to do just fine amid a rise in inflation. It can simply pass along higher costs. But it’s unlikely to see much of a boon from a rise in inflation. That makes this sector easy to look past for inflation stocks.

On the other hand, when inflation heats up, airlines tend to take a hit. A surge in jet fuel prices can negatively impact their bottom line. And historically speaking, banks and insurance companies don’t fare too well when inflation rates rise. They both tend to be locked into lending and premium costs for extended periods of time. In turn, when inflation rises – and the value of the dollar decreases – both industries wind up missing out on potential profits.

Then on yet another hand, there are commodities. Think food suppliers, purveyors of industrial metals and energy here. These industries can scale down production when demand is low. But when inflation kicks in, that switch isn’t flipped as easily. Production takes time. And the laws of supply and demand dictate that until supply is ramped up, the supplier’s goods become more valuable. In turn, so too does the company. That makes these particularly interesting areas to look for inflation stocks.

Five Inflation Stocks to Prop Up Your Portfolio

Each of the following funds is designed to track the overall performance of certain sectors or industries. And each of those tracked has historically outperformed when inflation rises.

These funds also offer the advantage of not having to pick and choose individual companies. In any industry, there can be some big winners and some behind the curve. And it’s a lot easier (and safer) to reap the average between them than get lucky trying to pick just the right company.

• Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF (NYSE: INFL)
• IShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (NYSE: GSG)
• Global X Internet of Things ETF (Nasdaq: SNSR)
• Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSE: VNQ)
• SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD)

Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF

If you want a picture of the direction inflation is going, just Google INFL. This ETF has proven to not only rise with inflation but be a steady barometer of it.

This ETF invests in both domestic and foreign securities that are expected to benefit from inflation. It benefits most directly from the rising prices in real estate. Which again, are on the rise like we haven’t seen for 30 years.

While the real estate market will cool down eventually, for the time being it remains as hot as it’s been in 30 years. So at least for the short-term, this is definitely one of the major inflation stocks to consider investing in. However, it is worth keeping an eye on it if you plan to keep it in your portfolio long-term. Even though its outlook is strong for the coming year, by 2023, it could slow down dramatically… If not start to decline.

IShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust

This exchange-traded fund (ETF) managed by BlackRock Fund Advisors invests in commodity markets. More specifically, it invests through derivatives, including futures contracts. When the future price of commodities goes up, so does the value of this fund. This ETF tries to track the S&P GSCI Total Return Index by taking long positions in index futures. This makes it a no-brainer inflation stock to pick up when preparing for a rise in prices.

Global X Internet of Things ETF

Most utilities are fairly inflation-proof. And the internet is certainly included there. And that makes the Global X ETF pretty inflation-proof in its own right. But what makes this ETF interesting is that it benefits from broader adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT). As WiFi, 5G and fiber optics become more ubiquitous, the number of things connected to them grows…

Whether society needs refrigerators and lightbulbs that connect to the internet doesn’t really matter. People are buying them. And the companies building semiconductors and sensors, applications for smart grids and smart homes, and various other integrated products are on the rise.

The future isn’t here yet. But when it does arrive, we’re going to have even more of the products we use every day connected to the internet. And those providing these products will only become more valuable. That makes this a sound investment as an inflation stock… but it is likely to perform well even beyond the inflation rises.

Vanguard Real Estate ETF

When inflation rises, so does the price of property and rentals. That’s why real estate investment trusts (REITs) are an excellent way to stave off the effects of inflation on your portfolio. An REIT is basically a collection of real estate that pays dividends to its investors. And this ETF invests in REITs that purchase real estate property.

This fund is a diversified way to make a play on the real estate market – without the massive down payment. It also comes with a respectable 2.86% dividend yield. When inflation is on the rise, income-oriented stocks that pay dividends generally decline. But this type of investment is an exception. That’s another reason this inflation stock is so appealing.

SPDR Gold Trust

Speaking of metals, one of the most common safe haven investments out there is gold. As our own stock Trends Expert Matthew Carr put it, “Gold loves uncertainty. And right now, we’ve got plenty of that.”

When the markets are volatile, the value of gold increases as investors retreat to safety. When inflation rises, so too does the value of gold. Even Warren Buffett – who has a long history of dismissing gold as an investment – has come around. There are many ways to invest in gold. You can buy physical gold. You can try your luck with gold futures. There are plenty of pure-play gold stocks out there, too. But gold ETFs offer broad exposure. And that makes this an excellent inflation stock to invest in to prepare for a decline in value of the dollar.

The Bottom Line on Inflation Stocks

These are just a sampling of the industries that can thrive amid an increase in inflation. The healthcare industry also tends to experience growth when the value of the dollar decreases. Same goes for companies that provide building materials and technologies.

But the five investment opportunities listed above are in an excellent position for the foreseeable future. They can help safeguard your portfolio while the dollar decreases and maintain it along the way until it recovers.