The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the formation of an inter-agency task force to evaluate developments in commodity markets.

The CFTC says that the group is being formed in light of the recent rise in crude oil and other commodity prices and the influx of new investors into commodity futures markets.

The task force p — which includes staff representatives from the CFTC, the Federal Reserve, the Department of the Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Agriculture — will examine investor practices, fundamental supply and demand factors, and study the role of speculators and index traders in the commodity markets.

High commodity prices are posing a significant strain on U.S. households, it noted, adding that the Interagency Task Force will aid public and regulatory understanding of the forces that are affecting the functioning of these markets.