Commodities/Central banks
Dealing with volatility
Sponsored event
Rio's gamble
Commodities
Lagging risk management
The rate of growth in the complexity of new derivatives products is causing a worrisome lag in risk management's ability to keep pace. As credit derivatives markets endure a period of stress, this lag could have serious consequences, argues David Rowe
Rethinking US liberalisation
Citing rising electricity prices, critics of liberalisation have recently managed to convince lawmakers in several US states to rethink policies that ban utilities from owning power plants. Elisa Wood investigates the current state of play
Weighing up the options
Mounting domestic environmental issues and worldwide energy security uncertainty are pushing the Chinese government to consider the full gamut of energy options – including renewables. Yue Zhang and Chong Siang Chew of the Institute of Energy Economics,…
Reports fuel supply fears
Upwardly revised oil price forecasts and recent reports from the International Energy Agency and the US National Petroleum Council point to growing unease about global energy supplies, writes David Watkins
The net widens
Grid computing is ubiquitous in investment banking, yet until now the energy trading and risk management space has been slow on the uptake. This looks set to change, reports David Watkins
Operating optimally
The increase in energy trading in recent years has brought significant opportunities but also a rise in operational risk, leaving systems struggling to keep up. Barney Brown at Detica identifies some areas of operational risk deriving from both internal…
Full steam ahead for FFAs
The freight derivatives market has attracted an influx of new players recently thanks to the spread of clearing. With more banks and hedge funds poised to enter, Roderick Bruce looks at what opportunities the market offers and how it needs to develop next
Risk milestones
Anniversaries inevitably inspire an urge to reminisce. David Rowe lists several important public milestones and one personal milestone in the development of financial risk management
Unthinkably favourable
Imagination in stress testing demands unorthodox thinking, as even seemingly favourable events can have negative consequences. In the case of the oil markets, this means stress testing for a fall, as well as a rise, in oil prices, argues David Rowe
In the shadows
Booming over-the-counter derivatives markets may be generating huge revenues for dealers, but they are also casting a worrying shadow over trading book profits in the form of counterparty credit risk. Are contingent credit default swaps the answer?