Feature/Commodities
Looking back: Post-Enron nerves give way to longer-term fears
Jitters subside as industry ponders role of trading and mark-to-market accounting
Coal derivatives market fosters burning ambition
Increased attention from both traders and hedgers is providing a boost to the coal derivatives market, say participants, fuelling the success of the API 8 index linked to Chinese coal imports and stimulating further product development efforts elsewhere…
Enforcement director nominated for Ferc chair
Centrica hires Hess market risk director; Vattenfall names trading head; Gazprom recruits BAML power trader; Baltic Exchange names Singapore head; Mitsubishi UFJ in commodity retreat
Fed probes catastrophic risks in bank physical commodity trading
The US Federal Reserve has moved to tighten the rules on physical commodity trading by banks, citing fears they might suffer huge losses as a result of an environmental disaster. How valid are such concerns and what steps is the Fed likely to take?…
Emir reporting date sparks 'mad rush' in energy derivatives market
A requirement to report trades under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation kicked in on February 12, creating a rush to comply among energy derivatives market participants. Some firms have struggled with the rules, and say a lack of support from…
Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings 2014 – metals
For metals, the past 12 months were marked by plummeting gold prices, directionless markets in base metals and heated rows over the London Metal Exchange’s warehousing system. Despite this, the top dealers and brokers in this year’s rankings are largely…
Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings 2014 – energy
The past 12 months proved tough for energy dealers, with low volatility, poor liquidity and sluggish levels of client activity. Given this, some banks decided to scale back their commitment to the market – a trend that is reflected in this year’s results…
Looking back: Regulators try to slow down OTC juggernaut
Today, regulation is a fact of life for OTC commodity derivatives traders. But in April 1994, it was somewhat novel, as Energy Risk reported at the time
Deutsche Bank makes commodities cuts
Goldman names new commodities heads; BAML exits European power and gas; GDF Suez promotes Moorooven; Newedge names commodity heads; JP Morgan hires EDF power trader
The 10 biggest energy risk management disasters of the past 20 years
The history of energy trading is littered with losses, bankruptcies and other misfortunes that now serve as cautionary tales. Alexander Osipovich looks back at the biggest energy risk management disasters of the past two decades and how they reshaped the…
Concerns remain on plans to bolster UK renewables via CFDs
The UK government hopes to deliver a healthy boost to low-carbon generation through a market for contracts-for-difference. While electricity market participants are upbeat about the proposals, there are lingering concerns about how effective it will be…
Looking back: Are banks coming back into OTC energy derivatives?
Banks have often stepped in and out of the OTC energy derivatives market. In this article from August 2001, Energy Risk reports on banks upping their activity
Capacity market set to provide UK's back-up plan
An important part of UK Electricity Market Reform is the launch of a capacity market, with the first auction due to take place in December 2014. Despite initial opposition, market participants have gradually come around to the idea. Stella Farrington…
EMR heralds greater government intervention in UK power
UK Electricity Market Reform, which is set to come into effect in July, will introduce a level of government intervention not seen in the country’s power market since the early 1990s. The impact will be felt by UK power firms and could ripple across…
Crude-by-rail data gains in value for traders
As an increasing volume of crude oil is transported via North America’s railroads, market participants are growing hungry for data and market intelligence on crude-by-rail. Such insight had been in short supply, until recently. Alexander Osipovich reports
CFTC chair nominated as Chilton exits
Goldman's Shenouda and O'Hagan retire; BNP Paribas takes Flax; ABN Amro appoints global head of energy; Hederman joins DoE; JP Morgan lures origination head
Revived Dodd-Frank position limits worry energy firms
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is gearing up for another big fight over position limits, after its original rule was rejected by a federal court. The agency’s latest proposal, released in November, gives market participants little reason for…
Power market flux creates threats and opportunities for exchanges
Financial regulation, low volatility, flattened prices and the integration of regional markets have put European electricity trading in a state of flux. That poses threats and opportunities for power exchanges – and some industry observers say it could…
Sovereign hedging picks up as developing countries end fuel subsidies
A push to eliminate fuel subsidies across much of Africa, the Middle East and Asia is raising interest in the use of commodity hedging by governments as a way of containing social unrest. But it remains a challenge to get sovereign commodity hedging…
Commodity investment goes back to fundamentals
The past year has not been a good one for commodity investment. Passive commodity indexes have delivered disappointing returns, while a number of high-profile commodity hedge funds have been forced to close. What is the outlook for investor interest in…
EU energy firms face uphill struggle to comply with market abuse rules
The European Union is implementing new legislation and adopting an increasingly aggressive stance on energy market abuse. But the continent’s energy trading firms face an uphill struggle to comply with the rules. Stella Farrington reports
Applied risk management series: Integrating stress tests with risk management
Stress testing is a vital part of successful risk management, but risk managers at energy trading firms frequently face obstacles in designing and implementing successful stress testing programmes. In this article, Carlos Blanco provides some advice on…
Ice Brent changes prove a hard pill to swallow
Ice says a plan to shift the expiry dates of futures and options on Brent crude oil is an important fix that will tighten the link between the physical and futures markets. However, carrying out the necessary changes could be painful for market…