Investors can’t seem to get away from non-energy commodities fast enough. A record $857 million was pulled this year from U.S. exchange-traded funds backed by broad baskets of everything from grains to metals, according to data compiled by Bloomberg through Dec. 23. The value of the funds plunged 26 percent as raw materials tumbled to a 16-year low. Hedge funds are expecting more losses, betting on price declines for gold, copper, corn and natural gas. While energy-linked funds were the only commodity group to see net inflows this year, oil and gas didn’t escape an almost across-the-board decline in prices. Sentiment has turned negative after a decade-long bull market that was driven by China’s hunger for crops, metals and fuel. Producers rushed to meet that demand, resulting in expanded supplies that are now causing gluts as the country grapples with the weakest economic growth in a generation. “Being out […]