Technology/Foreign exchange

Matchmakers

Post-trade confirmation in the energy market, once slow and prone to error, is becoming increasingly efficient due to the successful rollout of trade confirmation standards. David Watkins looks at how two of the competing standards have developed

Clearing the way

The Futures and Options Association has called on UK power market participants to come forward to help develop the market's structure. Chris Cook proposes an enterprise model that aims to overcome the obstacles to co-operation

Is it really alpha?

Hedge funds often characterise their mission as the pursuit of pure alpha. A growing body of research, however, argues that a significant proportion of observed hedge fund returns are really alternative beta. David Rowe considers the implications for the…

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…

Up in the air

Rising wind power prices are encouraging US producers to turn to the short-term and spot electricity markets. Increasingly sophisticated risk management techniques may follow. David Watkins reports

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