Commodities

Special report

Many energy trading firms struggled last year. With oil markets stuck in a range and volatility at low levels, trading opportunities were few and far between, causing a number of dealers to report sharp drops in revenue in successive quarters. This year, it looks like a lack of volatility won’t be a problem – oil prices rose above $100 a barrel for the first time in more than two years at the end of January.

While traders roll up their sleeves and prepare for what could be an unpredictable few m