Commodity markets
Refiners feel the squeeze
While crude oil prices have undergone a 70% decline since July, gasoline has dropped by 75%, taking the crack spread into negative territory. Eric Fishhaut of GlobalView Software looks at this unusual phenomenon
Oil change
George W. Bush ruled that the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve was to be released in significant amounts only in a national emergency. But incoming US president Barack Obama could change that, finds Susan Arterian
Gold and silver trading hits record levels in 2008
Trading in gold and silver reached record levels in 2008, spurred on by the perception of precious metals as a "safe haven" from the credit crisis, according to International Financial Services London (IFSL) Bullion Markets 2009 report.
Caution prevails; invest in government bonds, says Merrill Lynch GWM
"We are very cautious on 2009," says Gary Dugan, chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management in Europe, Middle-East and Africa and author of Year Ahead 2009 . "Equities are attractively valued but investors need to take a limited…
ICE Clear US to clear agricultural swaps
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has announced that ICE Clear US will clear sugar, coffee and cocoa swap contracts on ICE Futures US from late January 2009.
Precious metals ETFs listed in New York
Proshares has listed four new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the Arca platform of the New York Stock Exchange. The ETFs offer 200% long or short leveraged participation in gold and silver.
Thai bourse plans to add an ETF and derivative warrants
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (Set) aims to introduce an exchange-traded fund (ETF), derivative warrants, gold futures and an Islamic fund in 2009, as well as boost retail and institutional investor numbers. Set also intends on being listed by 2011, as…
Fuelling an emissions market
The carbon emissions credits market is heating up as investors are increasingly able to tap into the theme via structured products and exchange-traded funds. But how viable is the carbon theme as an underlying and what challenges do structured products…
The transparency tide
The issue of counterparty risk and how best to convey it to retail investors dominated the agenda at the Structured Products Europe conference. Delegates explored ways of identifying and mitigating risk, while the rise in structured funds and regulation…
ProShares releases short and leveraged ETFs tracking commodities, Euro and Yen
ProFunds Group, manager of short and leveraged funds, has launched 12 exchange-traded funds (ETF) providing short or leveraged exposure to commodities, the Euro and the Yen. The ETFs tracking broad commodities and crude oil indexes, as well as the ETFs…
Db x-trackers delivers commodity ETF
Db x-trackers, the exchange-traded fund arm of Deutsche Bank, has launched its commodity ETF on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) tracking the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index - Optimum Yield (DBLCI OY Balanced). The db x-trackers DBLCI OY Balanced ETF…
ETF Securities offers commodities equity exposure to UK investors
ETF Securities has cross-listed 13 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) which offer equity exposure to commodity markets as well as US equity market exposure.
Maybank launches Islamic commodity structured deposit
Malaysian bank Maybank has launched the Al-Sayf (MAS-i) structured Islamic deposit which is a sharia-compliant Mudharabah investment which is designed to provide exposure to the commodity-based Maybank Al-Sayf index.
CFTC petitioned to allow clearing of OTC agricultural contracts
Agora-X an electronic trading and negotiation platform for commodities, has petitioned the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to allow the clearing of over-the-counter (OTC) contracts in major agricultural commodities.
